Since a devastating volcanic eruption swept through Pompeii in AD 79, it has been difficult to imagine how the houses in the area looked in their original state.

But researchers have used 3D technology to reconstruct an entire villa to its former glory.

A unique video has been produced which shows a 3D model of a block of houses in Pompeii.

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Since a devastating volcanic eruption swept through Pompeii in AD 79, it has been difficult to imagine how the houses in the area looked in their original state. But researchers have used 3D technology to reconstruct an entire house to its former glory

WHAT DID THEY FIND? The researchers uncovered floor surfaces from AD 79, performed detailed studies of the building development through history, cleaned and documented three large wealthy estates, a tavern, a laundry, a bakery and several gardens. In one garden, they discovered that some of the taps to a stunning fountain were on at the time of eruption, with water still gushing when the rain of ash and pumice fell over Pompeii. The researchers occasionally also found completely untouched layers. In one shop were three fully intact windows from Ancient Rome, stacked against each other. Advertisement

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have been working on the project since 2010, in the hope of documenting the area in Pompeii before it deteriorates further.

The project includes a new branch of advanced digital archaeology, with 3D models demonstrating the completed photo documentation.

The city district was scanned during field work in 2011-2012 and the first 3D models of the ruined city have now been completed.

The models show what life was like for the people of Pompeii before the volcano eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The researchers have even managed to complete a detailed reconstruction of a large house, belonging to the wealthy banker, Caecilius Iucundus.

The city district was scanned during the field work in 2011-2012 and the first 3D models of the ruin city have now been completed. Pictured left is a painting of the house, and pictured right is the 3D reconstruction

Nicoló Dell´Unto, digital archaeologist at Lund University, said: 'By combining new technology with more traditional methods, we can describe Pompeii in greater detail and more accurately than was previously possible.'

The researchers uncovered floor surfaces from AD 79, performed detailed studies of the building development through history, cleaned and documented three large wealthy estates, a tavern, a laundry, a bakery and several gardens.

In one garden, they discovered that some of the taps to a stunning fountain were on at the time of eruption, with water still gushing when the rain of ash and pumice fell over Pompeii.

During the reconstruction, the researchers were even able to replicate fine details, such as those of a fireplace's ornate mantelpiece

A unique video has been produced which shows a 3D model of a block of houses in Pompeii

The researchers performed detailed studies of the building development through history, cleaned and documented three large wealthy estates, a tavern, a laundry, a bakery and several gardens

The models (pictured right) show what life was like for the people of Pompeii before the volcano eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pictured left is a camera scanning the house

Pompeii was a large Roman town in the Italian region of Campania (marked). Mount Vesuvius unleashed its power by spewing ash hundreds of feet into the air for 18 hours, which fell onto the doomed town, choking residents and covering buildings

The 3D reconstructions includes many intricate details, including a mosaic tiled floor surrounding a large pool of water

The researchers occasionally also found completely untouched layers.

In one shop were three fully intact windows from ancient Rome, stacked against each other.

By studying the water and sewer systems they were able to interpret the social hierarchies at the time, and see how retailers and restaurants were dependent on large wealthy families for water, and how the conditions improved towards the end, before the eruption.

An aqueduct was built in Pompeii, meaning that residents no longer had to rely on a few deep wells or the tanks of collected rainwater in large wealthy households.

The researchers were able to uncover and reconstruct floor surfaces from AD 79, using the 3D technology. The reconstruction was possible by cloning the recurring geometric pattern

Two examples (left to right) appearance show what the house could have looked like, based on photographs and 3D scanning