City Beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri

I've just watched this BBC 2 program, cracking use of 3D Surveying and 3D Modeling

The complex mix of expert archaeology, underwater robotics and state of the art graphics allowed the team to piece together the secrets of Pavlopetri, producing spectacular results.

Here, team from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics take us through how they worked to solve the puzzle of the city, using an autonomous underwater vehicle, the first time such technology has been used on this scale on a submerged site.

Throughout the night, the camera took stereo images under the water to judge the distance between the ruins on the sea floor. The robot captured hundreds of thousands of images, in order to build up a 3D model - allowing the team to create views that would be otherwise impossible.

The graphics team carefully built up a 3D map from the layout of the ruins and the uncovered artefacts. The final images of Pavlopetri reveal an intricate portrait of the city around 1600 BC; a city at its advanced peak.

There are a few short videos to be found on the BBC web site:-

City Beneath the Waves: Pavopetri [1:53]

How to reconstruct a Bronze Age City [5:33]

How to Rebuild Bronze Age Pottery [2:34]

The Ancient Buildings of Pavopetri [2:52]

Watch the whole program on

BBCi Player City Beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri [58:53]