One of the Italian archaeological sites featured in the game is the Imperial Nymphaeum of Punta dell’Epitaffio. This was a sacred place built entirely in marble in the first century C.E. which slowly sank into the sea over the years as the dry land beneath it subsided. Today it is part of the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baia, in the Pozzuoli Gulf, approx. 7m below the surface. Many of the marble statuesfound here in excellent condition were transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Campi Flegrei in the Aragonese Castle of Baia (province of Naples).
The hyper-realistic recreation of the seafloor and the archaeological artefacts was obtained by photogrammetry, the result of a partnership between the team of Calabrian experts and the institutes that together safeguard and promote this heritage (in Italy, the Campi Flegrei Archaeological Park, Ministry of Culture, Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, and in particular to Barbara Davidde and Roberto Petriaggi); this technology provided the bases for generating a HD, 3D model that combines general bathymetry of the underwater environment with the elaboration of hundreds of underwater photos. Holographic images of what these sites looked like in the past were also created and combined with a story that mixes real events with fantasy elements to create an emotional journey for the player.
One of the Italian archaeological sites featured in the game is the Imperial Nymphaeum of Punta dell’Epitaffio. This was a sacred place built entirely in marble in the first century C.E. which slowly sank into the sea over the years as the dry land beneath it subsided. Today it is part of the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baia, in the Pozzuoli Gulf, approx. 7m below the surface. Many of the marble statuesfound here in excellent condition were transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Campi Flegrei in the Aragonese Castle of Baia (province of Naples).
The hyper-realistic recreation of the seafloor and the archaeological artefacts was obtained by photogrammetry, the result of a partnership between the team of Calabrian experts and the institutes that together safeguard and promote this heritage (in Italy, the Campi Flegrei Archaeological Park, Ministry of Culture, Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, and in particular to Barbara Davidde and Roberto Petriaggi); this technology provided the bases for generating a HD, 3D model that combines general bathymetry of the underwater environment with the elaboration of hundreds of underwater photos. Holographic images of what these sites looked like in the past were also created and combined with a story that mixes real events with fantasy elements to create an emotional journey for the player.
Dive in the Past is the result of the partnership between 3D Research s.r.l., a spin-off company of the Università della Calabria, and six other partners from five European countries (Italy, Greece, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro). The game was created as part of the Me Dry Drive European project, which aims at encouraging interest in underwater archaeological heritage and raising awareness of the need to safeguard and promote it. The player, acting as a diver, explores the sandy seafloors of the Tyrrhenian and Mediterranean seas, discovering ancient wrecks and underwater cities. The player must complete missions, puzzles and mini-games, at each wreck.
