Ethnoastronomy involved multiple visits to a San community in the Northern Cape to record original myths, stories and accounts regarding the moon and the night sky. These myths were then combined with scientific accounts of the moon and night sky as per the CAPS curriculum. The purpose was to teach the CAPS curriculum in science through the use of indigenous knowledge systems whilst simultaneously preserving and documenting indigenous knowledge. Using interactive san rock art, animated and brought to life in VR, students are able to learn STEM subjects visually through myth and storytelling.

- Location: Andriesvale, Northern Cape

- Context: Educational VR app for the CALTSTEAM Lab and the San Council

- Role:Research | Fieldwork | Development

- Technologies Used: Virtual Reality

San ethnoastronomical knowledge in Andriesvale holds cultural and historical significance as a living system of cosmology, storytelling, and environmental understanding passed between generations.

Beyond its physical presence, this knowledge is shaped by memory, lived experience, and an ongoing relationship between community, landscape, and the night sky. This project emerged from the need to document and interpret this heritage in a way that could preserve both its narrative traditions and its human context, while supporting its continued transmission through education and intergenerational learning.

The primary challenge was fragility and loss. Much of San ethnoastronomical knowledge exists in oral form and is vulnerable to erosion through displacement, language loss, and generational change. Traditional documentation methods were limited in their ability to represent lived experience, narrative practice, and the cultural context in which this knowledge is transmitted.

There was also a responsibility to ensure that any digital representation remained respectful, community-approved, and aligned with both cultural protocols and institutional values.

Glassbox3D approached the project through in-house fieldwork and research-led methodologies. Work began through multiple visits to Andriesvale, engaging directly with the local community, the landscape, and individuals who are custodians of San cosmological knowledge.

Rather than prioritising reconstruction alone, the approach centred memory, oral tradition, and storytelling as entry points for digital representation, recognising that the heritage lay in narrative practice as much as in visual form.

Immersive technologies were selected based on their suitability for the project’s educational and cultural goals, ensuring that technology remained in service of knowledge transmission rather than becoming the focus of the work.

Technologies The project utilised a combination of immersive technologies, including:

- Virtual reality
- 360° image capture of rock art and landscape
- Photogrammetry and spatial documentation tools

These technologies enabled the accurate representation of the San community’s visual and spatial narratives while supporting interpretive, educational, and curriculum-aligned learning objectives.

The resulting digital heritage experience allows students and audiences to engage with San cosmological knowledge beyond static text or images, offering spatial understanding alongside cultural, narrative, and scientific context.

The project supports:

- Heritage preservation and archiving of oral traditions and rock art
- Research and documentation of indigenous knowledge systems
- Educational engagement through STEM curricula and storytelling
- Long-term access for schools, communities, and researchers

Where appropriate, the work also contributes to ongoing discussions around ethical digital heritage practice, curriculum integration, and immersive learning methodologies.

Projects of this nature carry responsibility. This work highlighted the importance of approaching San knowledge with care, collaboration, and attention to how these stories and representations may be interpreted over time.

The project reinforced the value of memory- and narrative-led methodologies in ensuring heritage remains human, contextual, and meaningful, rather than reduced to visual or technological reconstruction alone.

Looking Ahead This project demonstrates how immersive technologies can support the preservation and teaching of indigenous knowledge when grounded in research, fieldwork, and ethical collaboration. Glassbox3D continues to work with communities, educational institutions, and researchers exploring responsible approaches to digital heritage, immersive learning, and culturally informed interpretation. This positions the project as forward-looking, responsible, and aligned with both community and educational goals.

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