Shhh... Digital Archaeologist Secretly Scans Elgin Marbles At British Museum For Replicas

Elgin Marbles can be remade in perfect detail by the ROBOT sculptor after the digital architect sneaks into the British Museum (Photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Digital Archaeologists have secretly taken 3D images of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon Marbles inside the British Museum. They hope to create the perfect replica one day and lead to the return of the original to Greece.

The researchers used technology embedded in the cameras of the latest mobile phones and iPads to scan and program a "robotic sculptor" to measure replicas of the half-dozen sculptures called Elgin Marbles there.

Experts from the Institute for Digital Archeology (IDA) hope that the marble blocks can be made from metal sculptures in the same way as the statues made by the Ancient Greek architect Phidias.

Roger Michel, Executive Director of ISA, scanned the statues after being ignored by security staff. "They don't get mad, if there's something they seem a bit amused," he told MailOnline, quoted Monday, March 28.

Michel assumed that the reason the staff didn't give him official permission was because they didn't want it to be seen that they were involved in the project of making a replica of the statue. Michel also hopes that ISA can complete the replica within three months.

This is the same amount of time it took his robotic sculptor to recreate the destroyed Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria, which was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square in 2016.

Michel says that Elgin Marbles will be made with much finer detail than Palmyra's arches, down to millimeters. He described the carving of the robot as good as any human sculptor could do.

Michel and his colleague Dr. Alexy Karowska, technical director of ISA, used a combination of Lidar technology and photogrammetry to create a 3D scan of the statue.

Lidar, which was recently added to Apple's iPhone, uses a laser beam to create a 3D representation by measuring distances down to fractions of a millimeter. While photogrammetry works by taking a number of individual images and putting them together.

The Story Behind Elgin Marbles Replica

According to DailyMail, the Parthenon Athena is a classic temple built by ancient Greeks, was in dilapidated condition when Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, became British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1799. Elgen, an art lover said that the statue -the statue is better placed in England.

By negotiating, the statue was finally transported to London. In 1816, the British Parliament paid 350.000 pounds sterling or IDR 6 billion for the Parthenon Marbles and a new house was found in the British Museum.

Successive British governments have since argued that the call to return the marbles is a matter for the British Museum to decide, as the treasure has been on display there for 200 years.

The British Museum said it had used 3D scanning in an attempt to uncover some of the marbles' secrets, with a spokesperson adding that it was impossible to accommodate all requests from "a wide range of commercial and academic users".

The British government has recently been under increasing pressure to return the marbles, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last year insisting they were 'stolen'. But in fact, marbles have long been legally obtained by the British.

The Greek PM has offered to loan some of his country's artifacts, such as an ancient Artemision Bronze statue, to Britain in exchange for 2.500-year-old marbles.

But those who oppose their return have warned that it would set a precedent and lead to a worldwide exchange of historic treasures. Some argue that the arrival of Elgin Marbles in London changed European understanding of ancient Greek Art.

Since 1832, despite the years when they were protected in the Aldwych underground station to avoid war ravages, the marbles have remained in the British Museum.