VIZIN ArchOfTitus SpoilsPanel 040717

In 2012, a team of historians, scientists, and archaeologists began to study the Spoils Panel of the Arch of Titus, Rome, hoping to discover and reconstruct the original colors of this remarkable work of art. The Learning Sites team was hired by the Institute for the Visualization of History, working with Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, re-create the panel as it might have once looked. This video chronicles our methods and progress.

[@jperez7893]

beautiful rendering

[@xxTOTEMxx]

Amazing work!!!

[@learningsites]

Thank you from the whole team.

[@pontiacgrandprix1952]

Magnifique travail Bravo....

[@TWOCOWS1]

Do NOT restore those Roman faces. It is not necessary--or even relevant, but gives the impression of over-assumption and tampering. Just restore the spoils and leave the rest untouched. Then explain in more detail how the spoils were restored and the evidence supporting the accuracy (such as a lot more detail on the color retrieval). Also, what happened to the restoration of the silver trumpets which called the Jews to the festivals? They are in there on the panel. Why not restore them? In fact, you ignore them totally. Is there a reason for that?

[@learningsites]

Thank you for your detailed comments. To address them in order. We have been very careful to restore the faces of each person using the existing evidence on the relief, our goal being to attempt a restoration of the entire relief to its original sculptural and colorful state, thus this must include the heads. The video was made during our digital restoration process for the exhibition of the relief in NYC; work continues on the digital image, including the colors, the subtleties of the carving, and the many nuances of the clothing, spoils, and architectural context. More about the project can be found at: learningsites.com/Rome/Titus_home.php (which is updated as new material becomes available). The two trumpets are included and are colored, but may not stand out as much as other parts of the relief. There is a book currently at the publisher about the project, which will go into much more detail about all aspects of our work.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@learningsites Thank you. But those faces are not "restored" but stipulated, using another soldiers face. Why compromise the validity of your work with such an unnecessary step? There is NO NEEd whatever for the soldiers faces, which no one can possibly restore--and for what purpose anyone? The rest is material to the Jewish history not the good looks of the Roman soldiers! For the trumpet, you must mention them and explain what they are/were to the viewing audience. You talk about the Menorah and the Shewbread table, but not the trumpets. Please do (and remove those needless (and fake) heads from the soldiers. It really compromises your intentions and work.

[@learningsites]

We understand your concerns; thank you for the emphasis. Please note, however, that the video was prepared at the request of Yeshiva University in NYC, and thus, the content, and the focus on certain elements were at their behest for their purposes. Why they decided to gloss over the trumpets, we do not know; it did not come up during preparation of the work. As we continue to refine the restoration (to try to understand the entire relief as it might have been seen 2000 years ago), we will post new material on our Website.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@learningsites yes, i do sympathize. i worked with the History Channel: high school level kids dictate to the experts what they want to be presented. not what is the best and the most logical, but the expedience of the market (or dogma, in this case). Next time, i hope you have more freedom to rationally decide what should be done and what should not, avoiding the unnecessary cartoonism