Dr. Erin Peters, an assistant professor in the Department of Art at Appalachian State University, has played a significant role in developing new virtual reality and web-based features for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s popular Egyptian exhibit, specifically focusing on the Temple of Dendur. The project, titled “Dendur Decoded,” uses immersive technology to present different aspects of the temple’s history and significance.
“Dendur Decoded” allows users worldwide to explore the ancient temple through VR headsets or via the Met’s website. Features include image galleries, an interactive film, a 3D reconstruction puzzle, and a meditative space for reflection. Dr. Peters contributed as a key consultant by conducting research, drafting content, editing materials, and providing narration for the VR experience.
In October, Dr. Peters brought students from her Art Criticism and Theory seminar to New York to meet with members of the Met’s digital team and chief curator of Egyptian art. This trip enabled students to connect their academic studies with practical museum work.
Peters explained that hands-on experiences help students understand how technologies such as projection mapping, animation, and virtual reality can be used in art history: “App State students learn about the potential applications of new technologies — such as projection mapping, animation and virtual reality — in the field of art history, and how these technologies can bring exhibitions to life for museum patrons and educators.”
Her involvement with digital projects related to Dendur builds on previous work as a fellow at the Met’s Department of Egyptian Art (2013–14) and as an assistant curator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Her earlier research into ancient Egyptian polychromy provided groundwork for another Met project called “Color the Temple,” which has been displayed periodically since 2016.
Reflecting on making Dendur more accessible through digital media, Peters said: “Through its evolution into the digital realm, the Temple of Dendur becomes far more accessible to global audiences — and it also opens up new ways of experiencing history.” She added: “The question for me has been: How can we tell all the different stories? Not just the story of Dendur as an ancient temple, but its later lives as a Coptic church (an Egyptian church with roots in early Christianity), a dwelling, a tourist destination and now a museum exhibition. Digital technology helps us reveal all of those layers.”
The Temple of Dendur was originally constructed along Egypt’s Nile River during Emperor Augustus’ reign as part of efforts to save monuments threatened by construction projects like Egypt’s Aswan High Dam in the 1960s—a campaign that led to its relocation to New York City. Today visitors can still see inscriptions from various periods—including hieroglyphs depicting Augustus as pharaoh—as well as Coptic inscriptions and graffiti from later centuries.
Peters noted that continued study raises new questions about how spaces were added over time or how worship practices changed at Dendur: “The more we look at it and the more we research it, the more questions it asks of us, in a way that I think is exciting and generative.” She plans further investigation during her return trip to Egypt scheduled for March 2026.
The Department of Art at Appalachian State University offers programs spanning art history through graphic design across undergraduate degrees and minors; details are available on their website (https://art.appstate.edu). The College of Fine and Applied Arts houses seven departments focused on applied arts education (https://cfaa.appstate.edu). Appalachian State University itself is recognized nationally for innovative teaching within North Carolina’s public university system—enrolling over 21,000 students across two campuses (https://www.appstate.edu).
