The public organization “Archaica” and the team from the Odessa Archaeological Museum have successfully digitized a portion of the famous Odessa Catacombs.
The Odessa Catacombs are an extensive network of tunnels and labyrinths beneath the city, stretching over 2.5 thousand kilometers. The specialists focused on digitizing one of the most well-known sections—the Moldavanka quarries. The goal of creating a 3D model of this fragment was to provide access to those who are unable to visit the catacombs in person.
“These catacombs hide underground lakes, karst caves, and an intricate network of tunnels. While there is much talk about them, few have actually been inside,” said representatives from the organization.
The team descended into the catacombs twice, using makeshift lighting to illuminate the dark passages. The filming and laser scanning process took approximately five hours. Given the limited time, the team worked quickly, capturing over a thousand photos for texturing the model and more than 30 laser scans to ensure accurate geometry. Post-processing took several days. The team is also working on digitizing the next object.
The 3D model of the catacombs will serve as a tool for monitoring the condition of this historic site and will be a valuable resource for researchers working remotely, according to the “Archaica” team.
