The recent discovery of a monumental tomb from the era of Alexander the Great in Amphipolis, Greece, has fuelled the creation of a number of virtual worlds.
The Greek Ministry of Culture is the official government body in charge of the excavations currently taking place, and although at this stage it isn’t possible for people to physically explore the tomb, official images and drawings have progressively been released.
This has inspired 3D designers around the world to take what’s on offer, whilst using historical information, and tap into their imaginations to put together virtual reconstructions of the archaeological site.
Despite none of the designs being officially endorsed by the ministry, many of the options available online are nothing short of impressive.
On one website, users are able to use their mouse to rotate a model of the burial complex and on another you can walk on a mosaic dating back some 2,300 years.
Nikolaos Alexandrou is one of many creators behind these virtual worlds.
Born an hour and a half away from the excavation site, he now resides in Rome and holds a Master’s Degree in Architectural Civil Engineering.
With some experience in designing models of buildings, this was his first attempt at recreating an archaeological site.
“I thought it would be great to promote Greek heritage. So I decided to upload this stuff to YouTube,” Alexandrou said.
The response has been overwhelming, with his first video, posted in October last year, having been viewed over 200,000 times.
Said to be one of the biggest archeological finds in the area in 40 years, since the discovery of the royal Macedonian burials at Vergina, the media frenzy surrounding the find is understandable.
Go on, type Amphipolis into YouTube and see where it takes you. You know you want to.
Source: livescience.com
