RomeReborn 1.0

As a technologist who trained as an archaeologist, I am excited by every virtual reconstruction of archaeological sites that I come across. I remember how impressed I was by the very early virtual Trajan's Forum project co-developed by UCLA's Urban Simulation Teams and the Getty, and UCLA's Virtual Los Angeles Project, both of which I first saw at the 1997 ACM Meeting. I was so impressed I invited Bill Jepson from UCLA to speak at the 1998 MCN Conference about virtual world building.

Today, the Comune di Roma celebrated the unveiling of RomeReborn 1.0. Bernie Frischer from UVA and Diane Favro from UCLA led an international team of archaeologists, architects, and computer modelers in assembling a huge recreation of Rome as it existed circa 320 AD under the Emperor Constantine, covering the area within the 13 miles of Aurelian Walls that encircled it. Virtual visitors can navigate through and around all the buildings and streets, including the Colosseum, the Senate House, and the Temple of Venus and Rome.

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=2223

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL1114988420070611

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2142/ancient-rome-restored-virtually