# Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Early Christian Temples of the Roman Fortress of Pitiunt
## 3 Results and Discussion  
The work presented here is based on the assumptions of the archaeological expedition to the Bichvinta site. Architect [PERSON], who led the study of this complex, proposed the following chronology of temple construction [5]. The oldest single-nave basilica with a semicircular apse was built in the first third of the fourth century. Apparently built during the reign of Emperor [PERSON], it is the earliest monument in the complex, Temple No. 1. It is believed to be the earliest known Christian temple in the eastern Black Sea region. It is generally believed that this temple was the residence of Bishop [PERSON] Pitium. The temple was destroyed by fire in the middle of the fourth century. In the second half of the same century, a large basilica was built on the site of the destroyed church. It had a rich mosaic floor and marble columns. But even this temple did not last long and was soon destroyed. By the end of the fourth century, the temple was rebuilt once again. The new basilica was characterized by a modified apse and a reduced narthex. Marble columns were replaced with brick pillars. The surviving parts of the mosaic floor were left in place, while the missing parts were replaced with ceramic tiles. This temple was also destroyed, probably at the end of the fifth century. The basilica was never rebuilt and, judging from the burials in the central and northern aisles, became a tomb. The last small temple was built at the beginning of the sixth century, and its apse cuts deeply into the narthex of Temple No. 3. It is smaller in size and has a more modest decoration. It may have been destroyed in 542 by the Romans during the invasion of Chosroes, when the Romans, according to Procopius of Caesareana, \"prior to the enemies burnt houses and demolished walls to their foundations\" (Procopius of Caesareana. IV (VIII), 4, 4, 6). Subsequent research [9; 10] has slightly adjusted the dating of Temple Nos. 2 and 3: Temple No. 2 is now attributed to the end of the fourth century, with its mosaic to the beginning of the fifth century and Temple No. 3 to the end of the fifth or beginning of the sixth century. The Pitium temple complex is therefore made up of the remains of four temples. They were built in succession on the same site between the fourth and sixth centuries. Simultaneously, the first three temples overlap, while the fourth temple is moved to the west. Part of the wall of the third temple was dismantled during the excavation of Temple Nos. 1 and 2. As a result, all that remains of the complex are the outlines of the foundations, with some sections of the walls poorly identified (see Figure 2). The question arises as to the basic contours of the temple foundations, which can be used in 3D reconstruction. In the materials of the Bichvintra expedition [3; 4], the plans of the temple were given in different variants. Subsequently, several authors, including [PERSON] [9] and [PERSON] [10], have researched this issue and offered drawings and dimensions based on the same primary source. However, our analysis of these researchers' plans and descriptions revealed several errors and discrepancies that we have carefully reviewed and corrected to ensure accuracy. The scaling and orientation of the drawings showed inconsistent geometric dimensions that did not match the available descriptions. To refine the complex's geometry, an orthophoto obtained through aerial photography was used. This allowed for the identification of several structural features and the clarification of their dimensions. Photogrammetry revealed that the foundations of Temple Nos. 1-3 have a prominent parallelogram in 3-4\({}^{\circ}\) (see Figure 3), which was not reflected in any of the primary plans obtained by the Bichvintra expedition. The temples were all inscribed within a rectangular outline formed by the north, west and south walls.