The Amarna3D Project

The Amarna3D Project is a digital reconstruction of what the city of Akhenaten may have looked like during its short lived existence. This is the second reconstruction I have done with the first being more of an exploration of the site and whether or not it was a project I could undertake. Since the first version was built in early 2001 it has been used for a number of documentaries and the images have found their way onto many Egyptian themed websites.

After the first version was completed I was satisfied and moved on to other projects but recently I have been asked by a number of people if I would consider updating it. After careful thought and a fresh look at the resources available now I decided that I should develop a new version 2 of the model. This one would be more carefully built and my goal is to construct the individual parts of the city with as much accuracy as I can, without upsetting any Egyptologists!

The new project has a number of targets and boundaries:

  • Each known location should be represented as sympathetically as possible based on currently available data.
  • Each building / landmark should be geolocated within the limitations of available on-line mapping systems.
  • Where possible, extract certain features from the city and develop them with a viewable interior for display.
  • Create a StreetView system to enable the city to be viewed in much the same way as Google StreetView does at present.
  • Detailed hieroglyphs will not be present (whilst I would love to, the time taken woul detract from the actual modelling) although this will not be ruled out for future work after the city is completed. If any Egyptologists would like to help in this area I would welcome discussions.
  • All materials will be developed as base materials, i.e. sandstone, limestone, wood, etc.
  • The main website for information about Amarna is www.amarnaproject.com and as such I will be directing viewers to that site for more detailed descriptions about the city. I will structure the Amarna3D website in such a way as to complement their website.

The reconstruction is liable to take some time to complete and this is done during my summer research period with some updates throughout the rest of the year where possible. This website is mainly a record of development and I welcome any input from professionals or other interested parties through the contact form below.

Please contact me about any aspects of the website here:

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