{"id":9418,"date":"2025-07-24T14:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T12:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/?p=9418"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:50:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T12:50:48","slug":"seeing-the-past-in-a-new-light-eye-tracking-in-archaeology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/seeing-the-past-in-a-new-light-eye-tracking-in-archaeology\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing the past in a new light: Eye-tracking in archaeology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Eye-tracking makes it possible to determine where people look, in what order, and for how long by analyzing eye movements and fixation points. Using a specialized camera, researchers can track the movement of the eyes and create an attentional map based on viewers\u2019 gaze, showing which elements attracted their attention. This allows them to determine how people process visual information, what draws their attention first, and which details they tend to overlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although eye tracking may seem like a cutting-edge technology, the field has a surprisingly long history. In the late nineteenth century, French ophthalmologist Louis \u00c9mile Javal observed that the eyes move in distinct patterns while reading. In 1908, American psychologist Edmund Huey developed the first device capable of recording eye movements. The method gained broader scientific recognition in 1967 with the publication of Russian researcher Alfred L. Yarbus\u2019s groundbreaking book Eye Movements and Vision<\/em>, which remains one of the foundational works in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A gazepath from an eye-tracking study conducted at the Bode Museum in Berlin shows one participant\u2019s pattern of fixations. The viewer was looking at a portrait of a model wearing a reconstructed robe of a medieval Nubian ruler. The larger the circle, the longer the viewer\u2019s gaze remained on a particular element of the portrait. The numbers indicate the order of fixations. Author: Tomasz Michalik\/CA\u015a UW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, eye-tracking is used across a wide range of fields, from medicine and psychology to sports, automotive engineering, interface design, and marketing. In advertising in particular, it has become a powerful tool for decoding consumer behavior. By literally \u201cseeing through the customer\u2019s eyes,\u201d marketers can pinpoint what captures attention \u2013 and what is overlooked, often without the viewer even realizing it. These insights allow companies to design more effective advertising campaigns and communication strategies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the value of eye-tracking in business and technology may seem obvious, its application in archaeology is far less expected. Yet researchers at the University of Warsaw believe that this method has the potential to transform the way we study and present the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his pioneering work, Dr. Tomasz Michalik of the University of Warsaw\u2019s Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology explores how patterns of visual attention can deepen our understanding of the past, shed light on how we perceive it, and make archaeological heritage more accessible to people from different cultural backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eye-tracking
Eye-tracking research on medieval Nubian wall paintings in Old Dongola, Sudan. Conducting the study within a medieval monastery provided a rare opportunity to investigate how these paintings are perceived in their original setting. Photo: Adrian Chlebowski\/CA\u015a UW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What do archaeologists see?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For archaeologists, seeing is one of the most important research tools. They form initial hypotheses through observing finds. Yet the way we look at things is far from random \u2013 it is shaped by personality traits, cultural context, and specialist knowledge. As a result, experts and non-specialists often notice different details and assign different meanings to what they see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What may appear to an archaeologist as a significant discovery can seem like an ordinary fragment of shell to a casual observer. Conversely, a tourist may be drawn to an object because it is visually striking or photographable, even if it holds little archaeological significance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better understand how people engage with archaeological heritage, Dr. Tomasz Michalik conducted a series of eye-tracking studies in laboratories, museums, and archaeological sites. One of his most important research locations was Old Dongola, the former capital of the medieval Kingdom of Makuria (5th\u201314th centuries CE), one of the major centers of Christianity in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the sands of present-day Sudan lie the remains of churches and monasteries decorated with extraordinary wall paintings depicting biblical scenes, rulers, and members of the clergy. Archaeologists from the University of Warsaw have been studying and documenting these monuments for decades. Building on this work, Dr. Michalik uses eye-tracking to investigate how different audiences\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including local residents and international visitors \u2013\u00a0perceive and interpret this remarkable cultural heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Analysis<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Different cultures \u2013 different perspectives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the questions that interested Dr. Tomasz Michalik was how cultural background influences the way people perceive the material heritage of the past. Research conducted in Old Dongola shows that viewers from Sudan and Western countries engage with medieval Christian paintings in noticeably different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study found that participants directed their attention to the faces, clothing, attributes, and surroundings of the depicted figures in different sequences. Sudanese participants tended to focus first on symbolic attributes and spent more time exploring the broader context of the scenes. Participants from Western countries, by contrast, were more likely to direct their attention initially toward the figures\u2019 faces and bodies, paying comparatively less attention to the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A participant in an eye-tracking study examining wall paintings discovered in Old Dongola.\u00a0Photo by Tomasz Michalik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Dr. Michalik, these findings can help shape narratives that resonate with audiences from different cultural backgrounds. People do not always view or interpret the same image in the same way, and their starting points \u2013 and points of attention \u2013 can vary significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This suggests that presenting heritage sites, museum collections, and historical monuments can be more engaging when these differences are taken into account. Adjusting the sequence of information, language, and emphasis may help diverse audiences connect more deeply with the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education changes perspectives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In another study conducted in Warsaw, Dr. Michalik explored whether knowledge gained during university training can change the way students perceive depicted figures. Archaeology students were asked to analyze wall paintings from the Faras Gallery at the National Museum in Warsaw at both the beginning and the end of the semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"
An archaeology student examines a wall painting from the Faras Gallery at the National Museum in Warsaw while wearing an eye-tracking headset. Photo: Tomasz Michalik\/CA\u015a UW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne distinctive feature of these paintings is that saints were depicted with fair skin, while local rulers and bishops were shown in their actual appearance, with darker skin tones. We wanted to see whether students would pay more attention to fair-skinned figures \u2013 reflecting their own ethnic background \u2013 and whether training over the course of the semester could reduce the so-called \u2018cross-race effect.\u2019 Our results showed that at the beginning of the semester, students tended to focus on the faces of fair-skinned figures, whereas by the end of the semester this tendency had disappeared. This pilot study suggests that archaeological education can help reduce certain cultural biases while also raising broader questions about how researchers\u2019 cultural backgrounds shape archaeological interpretation,\u201d Dr. Tomasz Michalik explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eye-tracking
Eye-tracking data from the Faras Gallery at the National Museum in Warsaw, showing the distribution of visual attention of one participant while viewing a wall painting. The task involved analyzing the painting and then describing it, a key element in teaching iconographic analysis. The circles indicate points of fixation; their size reflects fixation duration, and the numbers show the order of gaze shifts.\u00a0Author: Tomasz Michalik\/CA\u015a UW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The study shows that archaeological education can gradually challenge ingrained patterns of perception that shape how visual material is interpreted. Beyond expanding knowledge, it encourages more conscious and critical ways of looking, helping students notice details they might previously have overlooked or misinterpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on this idea, Dr. Michalik investigated how effectively students can be trained to interpret visual data. He developed a set of teaching tools based on eye movement modeling examples (EMMEs) \u2013 recordings of experts\u2019 eye movements while analyzing artifacts. Students compared these with gaze patterns recorded from individuals without archaeological training. Seeing these differences directly helped them better understand how expert observation differs from intuitive, non-specialist viewing. It also enabled them to identify key features more quickly, understand expert analytical strategies, and refine their own observational and interpretive skills. This represents one of the first attempts to use eye-tracking as a teaching tool in archaeology \u2013 and a clear indication that visual perception itself can be trained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gazepath
Gazepath data, including a heat map and percentage of viewing time spent on specific areas of interest, recorded from an expert analyzing the painting\u00a0The Young Nubian Ruler Under the Protection of Christ. Faces and attributes were among the elements that attracted the most attention.\u00a0Author: Tomasz Michalik; photograph of the painting: Adam Oleksiak, National Museum in Warsaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Looking is more than instinct<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough looking may seem like an intuitive activity that requires no conscious effort, psychological research shows that we have limited awareness of how and where we direct our visual attention,\u201d Dr. Michalik explains. \u201cEye-tracking allows us to move beyond this limitation and gain insight into a process that is normally invisible \u2013 both literally and figuratively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Observation
Observation of a display of medieval Nubian dignitaries\u2019 attire at the Bode-Museum in Berlin. This was the first eye-tracking study of its kind conducted during a historical garments exhibition. Photo: Magdalena Burakowska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Dr. Michalik notes, eye-tracking may one day be used not only in education and museum exhibition design, but also in research on the evolution of human mind. It is a tool that allows us not only to see what we see, but also to understand why we see it the way we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, eye-tracking helps reveal the hidden layers of perception, showing that what we focus on is often shaped by the culture, knowledge, and lived experience embedded within us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eye-tracking
Eye-tracking research at an exhibition of Nubian costumes at the Bode-Museum in Berlin. Participants were asked to evaluate their aesthetic impressions while viewing portraits and reconstructions of Nubian garments. Using eye-tracking technology, researchers examined how visual attention correlates with visitors\u2019 aesthetic experiences. Such studies can help create more engaging museum exhibitions for contemporary audiences. Photo: Anna Margoszczyn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The text was originally published in Polish on the Serwis Naukowy UW <\/em>website <\/em><\/a>on July 24, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eye-tracking has transformed fields ranging from marketing and medicine to sports and interface design. Now, researchers at the University of Warsaw are bringing it into archaeology. By tracking where our eyes go \u2013 and what they ignore \u2013 they are uncovering how we perceive the past. Because every time we look, we interpret.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":9423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[1712,670,1713,1715,1716,1714,1572,1387],"class_list":["post-9418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-archaeology","tag-bode-museum-in-berlin","tag-eye-tracking","tag-faras-gallery","tag-national-museum-in-warsaw","tag-oculography","tag-paintings-in-old-dongola","tag-polish-centre-of-mediterranean-archaeology","tag-university-of-warsaw"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9418"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9432,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418\/revisions\/9432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}