"In a remarkable breakthrough blending archaeology and advanced 3D technology, Oxford University archaeologist Professor Juan de Lara has shown how the ancient Greeks used advanced lighting techniques to transform the inside of the Parthenon into a stage of divine spectacle. De Lara’s four-year study, published in The Annual of the British School at Athens, finally answers an ancient mystery about how light was used in the world-famous temple dedicated to Athena on the Acropolis of Athens." Writes Dario Radley for the Archaeology News online magazine.
Instead of the traditional vision of Greek temples as bright, marble spaces, de Lara’s research shows that the Parthenon was kept dim. This dark atmosphere created a theatrical setting for a dramatic lighting effect that seemed to illuminate the enormous chryselephantine statue of Athena by Phidias, made in 438 BCE.
Using advanced digital modelling and physically based light simulation, de Lara reconstructed the temple architecture to within a margin of error of only two centimetres. The model accounted for the materials used—reflectivity of ivory, gold, and polished marble—and took into account ancient values of solar movement. His calculations verified that on specific mornings during the time of the Panathenaic Festival, when the goddess was being celebrated every four years, the light of the sun would enter the temple through its eastern doorway. It would fall upon Athena’s golden robes, illuminating her against the darkened interior—a calculated and awe-inspiring optical illusion.
“Imagine entering the Parthenon—your eyes, still weary from the bright sun outside, slowly adjusting to the gradual darkness within,” said de Lara. “As sunlight filters through the temple’s doorway, it strikes the gold of the goddess’s robes with a luminous vertical beam. This was the effect the architects and Phidias intended to create. It must have been magical!”
"De Lara provides a nuanced reality—one in which the Greeks designed spaces to engage the senses and the spirit through intentionally orchestrated light." Concludes Dario Radley.
Read the full article and watch De Lara's 'The Parthenon 3D' on youtube.
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