Catacombs of Rome Haunted by Laser Scanner

A team of Italian and Austrian architects, archaeologists, computer scientists, and crypt keepers, their powers combined, were able to photo-map 9 miles of the Catacombs of St. Domitilla in Rome over the last three years.  They took a special laser scanner into the 2nd-century AD crypt and documented every surface of the subterranean complex that the scanner would fit in.  The resulting photo-map is much more vivid and complete than anything ever attempted under the streets of Rome.  After the jump, the video and pics of sexy naked ghosts.

The device the team used is pretty cool: it bounces billions of points of light (4 billion in total) off the catacomb surfaces and creates a composite 3D image that a viewer can scroll or “walk” through.  Paintings that haven’t been seen in nearly two-thousand years are now visible.  Here’s the video of the result from the BBC.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2471105&w=420&h=350&fv=config_settings_language%3Ddefault%26config%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2Fplayer%2Femp%2Fconfig%2Fdefault.xml%3F1.3.105_2.10.7938_7967_20090406152952%26playlist%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.bbc.co.uk%252Fmedia%252Femp%252F8020000%252F8029000%252F8029022.xml%26embedReferer%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fdigg.com%2Fd1qDOm%26embedPageUrl%3D%2F2%2Fhi%2Feurope%2F8027650.stm%26config_settings_autoPlay%3Dfalse%26config_settings_showPopoutButton%3Dfalse%26config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter%3Dtrue%26config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType%3Deav2%26config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition%3DInternational%26preroll%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fpfadx%2Fbbccom.live.site.news%2Fnews_europe_content%3Bsectn%3Dnews%3Bctype%3Dcontent%3Bnews%3Deurope%3Brsi%3D%3Bslot%3Dcompanion%3Bsz%3D512x288%3Btile%3D6%26companionSize%3D300x60%26companionType%3Dadi%26companionId%3Dbbccom_companion_8029022]