The Roman Colosseum Deconstructed: 3D Animation Reveals the Hidden Technology That Powered Rome’s Great Arena

Most tourists in Rome put the Colosseum at the top of their to-see list. (My own sister-in-law, soon to head out on her Italian honeymoon, plans to head to that storied ruin more or less straight from the airport.) Even those with no particular interest in ancient Roman civilization, stepping into the space that was once the arena — from the Latin harena, referring to the sand laid down to absorb blood shed in combat — fills the imagination with images of gladiators, lions, senators