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3D modeling demystifies the Parthenon's lighting conditions in ancient Greece

The Parthenon, a mid-5th-century temple atop the hill of the Acropolis, is dedicated to Athena, the Greek deity of wisdom and the patron goddess of Athens. Despite enduring damage, that masterpiece remains a quintessential example of Classical Greek architecture, celebrated for the impressive 40-foot-tall chryselephantine (inlaid gold-and-ivory) statue of Athena housed within.

The statue's placement within the temple's dim interior has tantalized many scholars with questions such as: What lighting did the artist and architect envision for this sacred space? How might the interplay of shadow and illumination transform the viewer's experience?

Archaeologist Juan de Lara of Oxford University, the researcher of , published in The Annual of the British School at Athens, set out on a mission to find out how the Parthenon was illuminated. Previous studies stressed that the temple was a bright, sunlit marble space, but after 4 years of meticulous reconstruction of ancient lighting scenarios within the temple, de Lara found that the space was generally quite dark and dim.

Every aspect of the Parthenon's architecture points towards a thought-out design, carefully planned, keeping the light in mind—from its alignment with the sunrise to the placement of openings, the translucent marble ceilings, and even 'reflective' pools of various liquids. These features likely worked together to heighten the visual and spiritual experience of the visitor standing in front of the gilded Athena statue.

Previous theories about the Parthenon's lighting design rely on speculation, incomplete data, or conceptual reconstructions, which led to the lack of a quantitative and physically accurate understanding of the dynamics of light within the temple structure.

To test the light-oriented design hypothesis, de Lara combined archaeological knowledge with advanced 3D digital technologies and lighting simulations to recreate ambient and architectural conditions that existed in the original temple design. Â鶹ÒùÔºically Based Rendering (PBR) of the Parthenon's interior enabled a highly accurate simulation, not only of the flow of light through the space, but also of the material properties of surfaces. This approach allowed for the precise assignment of reflectance values and colors, closely replicating the appearance of real-world materials.

The results shattered the long-standing notion of a sunbathed, bright marble room and revealed that the space was mostly dim. It was found that direct sunlight illuminated the statue's lower half at dawn for a brief period on certain days, but it almost never fully bathed the entire statue with solar photons. The reflective pools created barely any impact on lighting and were likely intended for humidity control or performing rituals.

The researcher noted that the darkness and selective illumination enhanced the sense of awe and religious experience.