Ancient City of Uruk rises again in 3D
Recreating the architecture of innovation
Today, little is known with certainty about the purpose and function of this early representative architecture, among which the so-called “Stone-Cone Building” is perhaps one of the most puzzling.
The construction technique utilised on this building is without parallel, and is found neither in Uruk itself nor anywhere else in the world. While all other buildings in the region use mud brick as the primary building material, its walls are made up of an artificial cement-like material that was applied, layer after layer.
Thousands of carefully formed and perforated slabs of ceramic were placed in-between each layer in order to provide the basis for the outer plastering, while, within the plastering, hundreds of thousands of coloured stone cones were set into the walls in geometric patterns to make up the mosaic decoration of the building.
Understanding the construction was an important step in understanding the building and architectural make-up of the structure and this is where German based conceptual design agency Artefacts Berlin came in. The team specialise in the visualisation of archaeological and scientific content, creating informative graphics and animations for exhibitions and research projects.
The digital model of this and other structures is now showcased at the exciting exhibition Uruk: 5000 Years of the Megacity that marks the 100th anniversary of the first excavations at Uruk
The Staatliche Museen’s Vorderasiatisches Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East) and the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim collaborated with the German Archaeological Institute’s Orient Department and the German Oriental Society to create a comprehensive display, featuring objects from the Vorderasiatisches Museum’s own collection and the Uruk-Warka collection of the German Archaeological Institute, which is maintained by the University of Heidelberg. The German-held works will be supplemented by further extraordinary objects from other museums, including the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris.
Video and photos at link:
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2013/uruk-rises-again-in-digital-3d
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk
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