How scientists reconstructed a huge statue of Emperor Constantine the Great in Rome

The ancient 11-metre structure was recreated using high tech software to scan a handful of surviving fragments.

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:25 So the process basically begins with the high resolution photogrammetry.

00:30 So this is, it is photography but it's capturing form not image.

00:34 So we're actually recording all of the elements, the fragments that exist at sub-millimetric levels of detail.

00:42 From then there's a whole phase in the computer where we're digitally modelling in organic modelling software.

00:49 And then we're 3D printing to return this back from digital data into physical data at a 1 to 1 scale.

00:57 And from then it's really traditional craft skills.

01:00 I have a whole team of moulders and casters and physical modelers who put this back together.

01:06 [Music]

01:11 I love the fact that the fragments, the real fragments are still in the courtyard and the facsimile of the fragments are here.

01:18 And people can see them in both places and they can understand this as an interpretation with the knowledge we have now.

01:26 [Music]

01:37 (dramatic music)