Pompeii was one of a number of towns located near the base of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius in Italy. The area had a substantial population that grew from the region‘s renowned agricultural fertility, but on 25 August AD 79 Pompeii was completely destoyed as Vesuvius erupted.
The town’s exposure to the heat was at least 250°C (482°F). Hot surges were sufficient to cause instant death, even if people were sheltered within buildings. The people and buildings of Pompeii were covered in up to ten metres (33 ft.) of twelve different layers of tephra (material of volcanic eruptions), which rained down for about six hours.
Pompeii in 2012
Before its rediscovery in 1748, Pompeii had been lost to the world since the catastrophe. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, attracting 2.5 million visitors every year.
After record rainfall in 2011, Old Pompeii was “falling apart” according to one report. The Italian government, through the University of Naples and the City of Pompeii, allocated 120 million Euro (US$ 155 million) to the preservation of the old city and the savings of the insight in the way the Romans lived.
Surveying the site
Topcon’s Italian distributor company GeoTop works directly with government officials and four universities (a consortium known as Benecon) to preserve the site. Before restoration on the city could begin, site mapping and precise analysis of ground and building movements had to be performed. That’s where positioning comes into play. The archeological site becomes a laboratory of innovation.
The first project objective is the creation of a 3D mapping system. Survey teams will recreate the site in a virtual form with great precision by overlaying images and laser scans to precisely measure the distance between each point, thus creating the old city in 3D imagery. Additionally, Benecon will deliver a cultural database, which combines background information – historical, natural and chemical – to add to the 3D models.
This reality technology will allow for visitors to see themselves in the original environment, as if they were Roman citizens of Pompeii before the devastating volcano explosion.