As recently reported by the Smithsonian Magazine, a new 3-D model, created by photographer-animator Dimitris Tsalkanis, transports us digitally back into 3,000 years of ancient Athenian history. The free site, Ancient Athens 3-D, offers an online immersive experience through seven different time periods, from 01200 B.C., through to the 19th century A.D. The viewer can scroll through the cities monuments and landmarks throughout the ages, from the long lost classical Acropolis to the Parthenon, which is still standing to this day.
“In crafting the site, which first launched in 2008, Tsalkanis let waves of architecture guide the delineations of his seven featured eras… Selecting one of the periods from the site’s menu takes the user to a page with a brief history lesson and links to individual monuments, rendered with each era’s architectural additions.
The website takes a bit of an open-source approach, adding tweaks or updates every time new data on Athens’ ancient archaeology surfaces, all in service of maintaining as much accuracy as possible.”
Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine
