Please join us for the first talk of the O’Donnell Institute’s 2025/26 Digital Cultural Heritage lecture series featuring the work of UTD Faculty whose research overlaps with digital cultural heritage practices.

On Thursday, October 23, Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History Director Michael Thomas will speak about digital heritage methods that have shaped the study and preservation of two ancient Roman sites: Oplontis Villa A, a monumental seaside residence, and “Villa” B, a commercial complex dedicated to wine storage and distribution. The lecture will detail the Oplontis Project’s use of 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, GIS mapping, and a linked database to document the architectural remains and decorative programs of both sites. 

By combining preservation, accessibility, and interpretation, the Oplontis Project case study offers a model for how digital heritage can reframe our understanding of the environments in which ancient Romans lived and worked.

Michael L. Thomas is an Associate Provost and Director of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he also holds the Richard R. Brettell Distinguished University Chair. He also serves as the managing curator of the DMA Partnership at the UT Dallas Athenaeum. He has excavated in Italy for 30 years where he co-directs two projects: the ongoing Oplontis Project in Torre Annunziata and the Mugello Valley Archaeological Project which is now in publication phase. A collaborative and interdisciplinary project between UT Dallas and UT Austin, the Oplontis Project is a leader in the implementation and utilization of Digital Humanities. His publications include studies on an Etruscan architecture and archaeology, Roman art and architecture, Roman villas, Roman wine trade, and Roman numismatics.

RSVP to Heather.Bowling@UTDallas.edu