3-D version of ancient Rome in Google Earth
Rome, in A.D. 320, as depicted by Google Earth. (© 2008 Procedural Inc)
Rome may not have been built in a day, but a new Google Earth feature will soon allow you to take in a 3-D representation of the ancient city (circa A.D. 320) in a matter of minutes.
Of the 7,000 buildings in the 1.0 version, around 250 are extremely detailed. The others are sketchier and derived from a 3-D scan of data collected from a plaster model of ancient Rome at the Museum of Roman Civilization.
Plaster model of ancient Rome at the Museum of Roman Civilization.
The Google Earth feature could gratify tourists who are disappointed to find that the city’s ancient monuments are in ruins. Information bubbles in the Google Earth feature provide details for more than 250 buildings.
Watch this video to take a short trip to ancient Rome in Google Earth:
To experience Ancient Rome 3D, install the Google Earth software, open Google Earth and select the Gallery folder on the left side of the screen and then click on “Ancient Rome 3D.”
Read more (New York Times, November 13, 2008)
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