An Ancient Roman Google?

By Davey Winder
Wednesday, 12 November 2008 17:16

Networking

Ever wondered just what it was like to live in Ancient Rome? Probably not, to be fair, but Google reckons it might be fun to find out.

We all know just how great Google Earth is, unless you happen to be Steve Ballmer or one of those folk whose swimming pools have been invaded by teenage party people .

Heck, you can even explore the planet in your pocket courtesy of the truly stunning version of Google Earth for the iPhone.

But as from today the landscape has just got a little bit bigger, thanks to the official launch of a time travelling function that will take you back to Ancient Rome in full 3D on Google Earth. This, Google promises, makes it easy peasy to explore the historic city as it stood centuries ago.

Indeed, the collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles and IATH at the University of Virginia, along with Past Perfect Productions and Google itself, has resulted in pretty much the most extensive collection of three-dimensional buildings on the Google Earth map.

Within this Ancient Roman 3D layer you can find more than 6700 historic buildings to explore in 3D detail including the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. You might even trace the footsteps of the gladiators in the Ludus Magnus or fly under the Arch of Constantine.

Google Earth offers a virtual representation of the city as it stood at the peak of its development as the seat of Roman Empire power, in 320 AD. Information bubbles written by expert historians ensure your visit is more than just an eye candy experience.

The  Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, seems impressed enough to comment that "It's an incredible opportunity to share the stunning greatness of Ancient Rome, perfect example of how the new technologies can be ideal allies of our history, archeology and cultural identity."

While Michael Jones, Google Earth Chief Technology Advocate, adds "For centuries, people all over the world have been fascinated by Roman civilization. We're delighted to share the culmination of years of work by scholars, historians, artists and others with Google Earth users around the world."

To visit Ancient Rome simply go to the "Layers" panel of Google Earth, select "Gallery" then "Ancient Rome 3D."