The final presentation at the French-American Business Forum was by Peter Der Manuelian, of the MFA and Harvard University, who gave a fascinating presentation about his archeological work at the pyramids on the Giza plateau in Egypt.

At first glance, the archeology of the Egyptian pyramids might seem out of place at an event devoted to the French economic presence in New England, but there is actually a connection.  Professor Manuelian is Director of the Giza Archives Project at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.  The Giza Archives Project has recently begun collaborating with Dassault Systèmes to create a 3D virtual model of the entire Giza plateau.  This allows them to reconstruct the area in a way that wasn't previously possible.  By using data collected on previous expeditions, such as photos, drawings, and scientific notes, they are able to create a scientifically accurate model.  They can also reconstruct parts of the site that are now in museums around the world and place them back at their original locations at Giza.  This gives a more complete picture of the site than was previously possible, and allows them to ask questions and test theories in ways that were also not previously possible.
 
As part of his presentation, Professor Manuelian showed a short video of parts of the Giza site.  The video illustrates how they have recreated the site, specifically showing a burial shaft that was excavated in 1906, and a chapel that is now in a museum in Vienna.  You can watch the video here:
http://perspectives.3ds.com/education/harvard-gets-immersive-vr-with-giza-3d/

Also, something that Professor Manuelian didn’t actually include in his presentation, the collaboration between the Giza Archives Project and Dassault Systèmes is part of the Passion for Innovation program at Dassault Systèmes, which funds remarkable educational and non-profit programs.  Dassault Systèmes provides not only the software, but also a team of people to assist with the project.  More information about the Passion for Innovation program, including some other examples of projects that are part of the program can be found here:
http://www.3ds.com/company/passion-for-innovation/program/ 
 

And in a completely unrelated project, Jean-Pierre Houdin also worked with Dassault Systèmes to test his theory about how the pyramids could have been built by people who had no knowledge of iron, the wheel, or pulleys.  His project isn't related to the Giza Archives Project, but could be interesting for people interested in the pyramids, or in Dassault Systèmes.  See more about that project here:
http://khufu.3ds.com/introduction/


Although there were many other interesting presenters, this will be my last blog post about the French-American Business Forum.  We plan to take down the blog and the website sometime in mid-April.  To find out about the next French-American Business Forum, sign up for the email list for the French-American Chamber of Commerce.  Go to www.faccne.org and use the "Join our mailing list" box on the lower right.
 
A bientôt !

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