Public Lecture by Norbert Zimmermann, Vienna Academy of Arts and Sciences, on the use of 3-D technology in the catacombs of Domitilla

New technologies such as the 3D laser scanner offer excellent possibilities for documenting archaeological sites or monuments, and these documentations can give scholars as well as the public completely new access to them. In particular 3D scans of monuments that have a difficult architectural configuration or location allow scholars views that are otherwise impossible to obtain, and can result in a new experience and a deeper understanding of the monument. An outstanding example of the potential for these technologies is offered by a scan of the largest Roman catacomb, that of Domitilla, with its series of paintings around the numerous tombs. This lecture reports on the main findings of the Domitilla Project, undertaken in the last six years by a group of archaeologists and architects of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Technical University at Vienna, which range from single scans in the catacomb to the huge realistic 3D model. The most important discoveries, including new and unique wall paintings, will be explored in a virtual trip of the catacomb, offering a singular vision of this generally invisible world