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Ancient Artifacts Meet Modern Technology In Exhibit Coming To Franklin Institute

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Your smartphone serves as a time machine as part of an exhibition coming September 30th to the Franklin Institute.

They certainly didn't see this coming in the third century BC.

"When they hold their phone up to the warrior, they will see a three-dimensional model of the warrior with their original weapons or objects they would have been holding in their hands, digitally recreated," said Susan Poulton, Chief Digital Officer at the Franklin Institute.

It's a kind of augmented reality experience that wouldn't be possible without this real-life archaeological discovery in China.

Archers Terracotta Warriors
(credit: The Franklin Institute)

The Terracotta Warriors, unearthed in the 1970s but dating back 2200 years, were placed to guard the first Chinese Emperor in the afterlife.

They make their northeastern U.S. debut at the Franklin Institute.

"We take tens of thosuands of images of the warrior statues, and then stitch them together in a 3D model, so you can explore them in extreme high-resolution detail -- closer than you could ever get to the statue," Poulton explained.

And more than you'd otherwise see, since many of the warriors' weapons were wood, and have been lost to history.

Poulter says the Franklin is considering adding augmented reality to their famous Giant Heart exhibit.

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