Heritage

Architectural survey is an evolving field in architecture that has been affected during the past decade by the technological advancements in the field of 3D data acquisition. Some of these technological advancements include long-range laser scanning and photogrammetry. Laser scanning gives us an accurate documentation of the site, even in cases where parts of the building have collapsed. This paper aims to present two case studies of digital documentation through laser scanning and photogrammetry that led to the structural reinforcement and preservation of the first site and to a digital reconstruction and a mixed reality platform for the second site. The first site is an Ottoman Soap factory in Lod, Israel and the second one is an Ottoman Bathhouse in Apollonia, Greece. Both sites dealt with challenges during documentation due to a partial collapse of the building or due to dangerous structural conditions. The digital documentation methodologies allowed for a fast, accurate and comprehensive survey, as well as for a good understanding of the building and the areas which were concealed as a result of the collapse. At the same time, the digital documentation model gave the potential for the cultural heritage (CH) site to become part of the social, economic and cultural local community. Full article

The study, preservation and restoration of the cultural heritage objects of mankind are not only of great cultural importance but also have a significant economic component because cultural values of past centuries attract tourists from all over the world. The use of modern technical and scientific achievements in the field of non-destructive testing makes it possible to obtain new knowledge about cultural objects regarding their origin and dating, as well as to contribute to their better restoration and preservation. An important component of their use is additional opportunities to identify high quality fakes of original cultural objects that have historical significance. The capabilities of various non-destructive testing (NDT) methods used to examine cultural objects are characterized by their penetration depth, resolution, and sensitivity to material properties. Thus, in many cases, it is necessary to perform multi-sensor non-destructive testing and creating large data sets that require an efficient evaluation. This article considers an example of using microwave (MW) holographic sensors for the examining of an old Orthodox Russian Icon dated of the late 19th century. The paper describes the technology of microwave holography, which has recently been applied to the examination of art works. Unlike the well-studied X-ray method, MW holography makes it possible to examine objects with one-sided access. Its other advantages are the relative cheapness of the equipment and the safety of use due to the low level of radiation. The article describes a MW holograms reconstruction algorithm, as well as a method for improving the quality of obtained MW images. The data collected at MW research of the Icon are compared with the results of X-ray examination and confirmed by subsequent opening and visual examination performed by professional restorers. Full article

The WAS—Waterscape Archaeology in Sicily—project is dedicated to underwater cultural heritage mapping, knowledge and awareness of the cultural heritage, dissemination, and analysis of the submerged environment concerning the coast. The prototype investigation site presented here is Isola delle Femmine (PA, Italy). This paper highlights the archaeological discovery with a description of the main finds, across a multidisciplinary approach, carried out with low-cost technology, increasing sustainable diving, and underlining the relationship between submerged and open-air historical evidence. Our studies address the realization of new underwater archaeological itineraries connected to local history. This text provides a historical-archaeological introduction to understanding the context of the site and, with some geological notes, illustrates the phases of the research with a presentation of the main artifacts, with a focus on the methodology and the techniques of the surveys and the usefulness of underwater photogrammetry and 3D modeling with a particular focus on the tourism application in the diving centers. Our work has allowed for the creation of two new underwater archaeological itineraries of Sicily. The innovative aspects of our project are linked to a new holistic approach in the context of the scientific synergy between multiple disciplines. Full article

Global key drivers—e.g., climate change, COVID-19 outbreak—have initiated critical debates as to the sustainable future pathways of many regions around the globe. Among these fall islands, as distinct types of regions that are marked by insularity drawbacks and a mono-sectoral economic profile, grounded in mass tourism. Having as a case study area all Greek islands, this work addresses: sustainability concerns that are due to the mass tourism repercussions in these heritage-endowed territories; and efforts undertaken by the Greek insular municipalities to deploy, in a collaborative manner, strategic cultural tourism plans in support of the transition from a resource-intensive mass tourism pattern to natural and cultural heritage-led future developmental trails. Towards this end, a two-stream methodological approach is used that relies on: quantitative, spatially-defined data elaboration/interpretation and visualization, highlighting the dynamics of tourism development in island territories; and qualitative data on issues related to the aforementioned plans from all insular municipalities, gathered through a web-based questionnaire. Research results unveil the unsustainable spatial and developmental patterns of Greek insular contexts and the shortage of mainstream planning expertise for collaboratively establishing attractive cultural-tourism ensembles. These factors restrain sustainability achievements and the repositioning of Greek islands in the global scenery as authentic heritage-led destinations. Full article

Social conflicts and political pressures represent a specific man-made hazard for heritage protection and result in contested heritage. One of the recent cases, Equestrian Indians publicly displayed in Chicago, was the subject of contestation following the Black Lives Matter protests. The aim of this paper was to critically assess heritage contestation in this case study, also demonstrating other factors influencing heritage contestation than those so far detected in theory, and to find possible coping strategies. Qualitative mixed methods were applied: desk research, critical instance case study, and unstructured interviews. Analysis was completed in line with four theories (international relations theory, collective memory theory, social movement theory and cancel culture) and the results showed: (a) that the case had no greater effect on international relations of the USA and Croatia; (b) a new type of dissonance: a reversed contestation based on a distorted narrative; (c) illusory resistance in the social movement theory; (d) a new theory termed “cancel heritage”, denoting the cancel culture features a spill-over to a collective memory. Possible coping strategies for heritage protection point to the need for a more nuanced participatory approach while forgetting, but possibly the most effective method leading to a collective psychological liberation is hardly achievable. Full article

Previous research has highlighted the correlation between the design of the built environment and sustainable development, underscoring how buildings have the potential to accelerate the realization of the SDGs. However, the specific contribution of built heritage to the SDGs have been seldom studied, and little research has attempted to link built heritage architectural features with sustainable development. This research examines how heritage façades, and the street-level activities they instigate, contribute to local sustainable development. The researchers build on existing knowledge to develop a framework that links façade features with the SDGs. The framework is used to re-examine several case studies in El Korba, located in Heliopolis, Cairo (Egypt). Many researchers have studied this area architecturally, historically, and socially, but no research has studied its possible contribution to local sustainable development. The findings highlight how those heritage façades serve as a means for sustainable development on the social, economic, and environmental levels. The paper also underscores how the deterioration of this built heritage location risks diluting the architectural features that drive their contribution to the SDGs. The findings also substantiate several of the connections in the framework, which enables future researchers to link the design features of heritage building façades and the SDGs and document how different built heritage locations support sustainable development. Full article

A major purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of digital exhibitions of intangible heritage in the COVID-19 era and to ascertain the role of museums in enhancing understanding and interest in intangible heritage. This survey was designed to determine Gwangju citizens’ perception of intangible heritage and preference for visiting museums, focusing on the Gwangju Chilseok Gossaum Nori Experience Center in Korea. As a result, three perspectives were derived. First, exhibitions and video experience centers that use digital technology were more helpful toward understanding Gwangju Chilseok Gossaum Nori than festivals. Second, the frequency of visits to local festivals or museums positively affected the frequency of visits to the Gwangju Chilseok Gossaum Nori Video Experience Center. This demonstrates that cultural heritage conservation programs have a positive effect on each other. Third, the purpose of visiting the museum varied by age. For example, parents visited museums for educational purposes, which clearly shows that the reason for visiting the museum varies according to age. These results prove that museums must not only understand visitors’ needs, but they also must jointly consider ways to revitalize their exhibitions. Full article

Dirre Sheikh Hussein is a religious complex in Ethiopia that dates from the 12th century or earlier. An important focus for pilgrimage, it lies in an isolated part of Oromia State on poorly drained semi-arid lowlands. Significant architecturally and culturally, recent expansion and refurbishment of the major buildings led to structural issues, though these are now largely overcome through consolidation of the prayer hall roof, laying a stone walkway, digging drainage ditches etc. Current deterioration of the buildings can be seen as: (i) fading of colours, (ii) cracks in walls, roofs, and festive places, (iii) deposits of sand around walls and (iv) staining and drainage marks on the white painted surfaces. Heavy falls of rain overwhelm drainage and overfill storage pools. Meteorological observations are infrequent locally, so those made some 70–100 km away were used, along with regridded historical data, reanalysis and CMIP6 projections. These revealed increases in temperature, precipitation and humidity, and provided indications of long-term climate pressures at the site. Changing patterns of future precipitation, particularly heavy rain, may threaten the site. The relative humidity changes are small, though an increasing Scheffer index suggests potentially enhanced wood decay. Changes in soil moisture have the potential to disrupt the foundations. Very hot days may become a problem for the two annual celebrations at the site. Full article

The painting The Descent from the Cross, painted in 1620 by Pedro Nunes (1586–1637), presents two large figures with orange-coloured fabrics with conservation problems. Through the analysis of two samples with several analytical techniques, especially scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray spectroscopy and Raman microscopy, it was possible to conclude that the orange colour is due to a complex artificial pigment made of amorphous arsenic sulphide. It essentially consists of spherical particles obtained by sublimation and condensation, possibly from orpiment, which ended up being joined with irregularly shaped particles resulting from crushing of the residual fraction obtained by solidification and fusion. This is a rare documented case of the extensive use of artificial arsenic sulphides in European easel painting, especially outside Italy. The conservation problems can be explained by the great sensitivity of the arsenic sulphides to photodegradation and the formation of powdery compounds. Full article

This study aims at the characterisation of red and orange glass tesserae from the 4th-century Roman villa of Noheda (Spain). Due to the limited number of analyses available for such ancient materials, many questions remain unanswered about the production processes in the Roman period. Six samples were chosen for their hue variations, including two samples showing banded patterns of red and orange. Differences in copper speciation were investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and compared with colour and compositional variations obtained by EPMA. The shapes and sizes of colouring crystals could be investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscope imaging. The brown-red colour is due to metallic copper nano-particles and corresponds to a low-copper and low-lead group usually described in the literature. The orange samples and bands are coloured by copper oxide $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_2\mathrm{O}$ nanoparticles with remaining Cu⁺ in the glass and have greater contents of Cu. Compositional analyses reveal that the same base glass is used in the red and orange bands with additions of Cu, Sn, Pb and probable Fe. Furthermore, based on our results and on the literature review, a high-copper low-lead group of glasses highlights the variability of compositions observed in cuprite colours. Full article

The paper discusses the role of the funerary complex built for Netjerykhet (Djoser) in the landscape of Memphis and Saqqara necropolis as a ritual, cultural and visual reference point. Additionally, an interpretation of its meaning and purpose, including the above- and underground structures as well as the so-called Dry Moat, is presented. Full article

The application of non-contact diagnostic methodologies is the current challenge in the frame of the cultural heritage, referred to as preservation, monitoring and restoration. Inspired by the potential shown by infrared thermography in rock mechanics’ non-destructive applications, this paper presents the results achieved by its use for the quick survey of different weathering types affecting natural stones at historical buildings. Infrared thermography allowed recognizing and mapping the different surface temperatures arising from the presence of efflorescence, subflorescence, alveolization, black crusts and bioweathering at limestone and basalt stones. Infrared data were sided by photogrammetric three-dimensional models of surveyed spots, which provided quantitative data on the thickness of rock affected by mechanical weathering, and key correspondence between the two techniques is highlighted. Achieved results show that infrared outcomes are related to different aspects primarily involving the stone face morphology and color, as well as the environmental conditions at the surveying time. Provided interpretations were validated by field visual inspections, which confirmed the good potential of infrared thermography as a quick weathering diagnostic tool. This study can be therefore considered a starting reference for knowledge development in this scientific field. Full article

The preservation of cultural heritage through education and training has always been a relevant issue and, sure enough, can contribute to the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 (e.g., 4: Quality education, 8: Decent work and economic growth, 11: Sustainable cities and communities). The pandemic experience substantially influenced this topic for two key reasons. First, it has revolutionized the approach to teaching and learning activities, involving technological and digital innovations in this area for extreme and urgent necessities. The second aspect is that it has encouraged the rediscovery of minor heritages closer to one’s own territorial identity, strengthening the link with the local community. Understanding the role and importance of cultural heritage begins in the school; therefore, education is an essential and indispensable stage. At all educational levels, beginning with primary school, the necessary training activities for specific professional figures should be implemented. The transformation related to the cultural heritage professional figure must include both awareness of heritage value and excellent practical and theoretical skills. The research presented focuses on proposing new training paradigms that are highly professionalizing and involving. Full article

Social media marketing communication is among the current strategies used to provide visibility to cultural heritage, sales promotions being especially relevant. Nevertheless, despite the fact that social media has now built significant momentum, there is still a dearth of research on the relationship between social marketing activities and brand equity. In this context, this study seeks to determine how the use of promotional discounts and free gifts on social media contributes to building heritage brand equity. To pursue this research aim, a quasi-experimental study was designed and carried out among online users, based on two promotional stimuli (discount vs. free gift). The findings suggest that gifts perform better in terms of increasing brand equity, except where the user presents a high level of sales promotion-proneness, in which case promotional discounts are more effective. Full article

GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) is a technology widely applied today in the field of non-destructive investigations. From its first applications, the field of use has involved environmental and archaeological contexts and, only recently, non-destructive investigations for the diagnostics of existing buildings, including historical ones. In the latter, the GPR is, in particular, addressed to the NDT diagnostics of walls, which often support paintings of considerable value. In this study, GPR technology was used to investigate the walls of the Bardi Chapel in the Santa Croce Basilica in Florence, which features Giotto’s frescoes. The GPR acquisition was performed with a three-antenna module that, through multiple scans, allowed to reconstruct the full 3D tomography of the three main walls of the chapel. The development of a customized system made it possible to extend the investigation area to almost the entire wall and to avoid contact between the instrument and the wall paint, thus safeguarding its integrity. The collected data, once inserted in a unified framework of the HBIM model, geo-referenced, and equipped with the information content, allowed us to evaluate the masonry structure and to generate masonry data for subsequent seismic vulnerability assessments. Full article

In 2015, UNESCO inscribed the summer solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A few years later, a didactic programme was launched to incorporate the tradition into formal education, designed and developed in collaboration with the bearer and educational communities. Specifically, to accomplish the project, both collectives priorly analyzed and validated the proposal through field work, discussion groups, and qualitative and quantitative methods. The results demonstrated the need for cross-disciplinary materials designed to incorporate the festivals into formal education, the benefits of involving the bearer and educational communities in an initiative of these characteristics, and the usefulness of the project for the valorization of ICH and the imparting of curricular contents. Full article

Scientific studies concerning the causes and consequences of the biodeterioration of stone monuments located at high altitudes in permanently cold, mountainous regions are scarce. For that reason, this study aimed to detect and identify the bacteria involved in the deterioration of this type of monument. To achieve this goal, we focused on the most important archeological Inca site in the Ecuadorian Andes: Ingapirca’s Temple of the Sun, built approximately 500 years ago at 3.100 m.a.s.l. We first examined the stone surfaces of the temple by scanning electron microscopy and showed the detrimental impact on the mineral structure of the green andesite mineral used to build the temple, caused by crustose lichen thalli and heterotrophic bacteria. Then, we isolated, characterized, and identified several of these bacteria. Most of them multiplied at a wide range of temperatures, from 4 °C to 30 °C, and were thus considered eurypsychrophiles. Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria species dominated the culturable fraction of this community. Several isolates produced metabolites that solubilized mineral phosphates at low temperatures; others solubilized iron-containing mineral fractions in the green andesite rock when tested in vitro. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report related to the biodeterioration of an Inca monument at such an altitude in the Andes range. Full article

The object of this paper is the diagnostic campaign performed on the polychrome wooden statue, revered as St. John, stored in the church dedicated to the “Beata Vergine d’Itria” (Blessed Virgin of Itria), (Noragugume town, Sardinia, Italy). The restoration of the statue gave the occasion to investigate micro-samples from the wooden support and from the polychromy in order to gather information that could be useful for the intervention. In fact, there was limited information on this fine carved statue and its iconographic pattern appeared to be not strictly canonical. Moreover, these kinds of artworks, having religious significant for the faithful, have been generally modified over time to satisfy possible changes in artistic or religious needs or ecclesiastical reforms. The aims of this study are: (i) support the restorers in defining the conservation status of the statue, and (ii) perform a series of analyses to identify the wood and the materials of the painting layers. Specifically, wood micro-sample was examined under the microscope in order to investigate the anatomical characteristics useful to identify the species; pigments were studied through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS); organic materials were analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); and, lastly, the panting technique was investigated through micro-stratigraphy (MS). The analysis performed on the micro-sample taken from the support allowed for identifying the wood as poplar. XRF detected chemical elements that could be associated to pigments such as azurite, blue smalt, red lead, white lead and ochres, and Au for the gilding. SEM-EDS confirmed these pigments and allowed to find also other elements useful to suggest the presence of further materials such as Ag in the metal foil. FTIR detected proteinaceous binder and siccative oils that were mapped in the micro-stratigraphy by using histochemical tests. All this information was used by the restorers to address the intervention from the cleaning to the final retouching. Full article

This study investigates the tourism-oriented heritage districts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and explores a new approach to fostering heritage tourism. This is envisaged through conducting a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to detect the characteristics of the tourism-oriented heritage districts from the residents and tourists. The systematic evaluation of opinions is based on indicators developed by UNESCO and ICOMOS international principles. According to the survey results, it is found that Dubai’s approach was successful at reuniting people with their history via modern materials in the restoration works. This has preserved the heritage value and increased their culture and national identity. The social goal to reconnect residents to their cultural history has been realized despite the inconsistencies compared to the specification of the World Heritage Convention, which requires technical authenticity and integrity. People perceived the identities of tourism-oriented heritage districts in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman differently. Based on the POE survey, the Shindagha area and Al Fahidi Historical Area in Dubai were perceived as traditional destinations for tourist attractions. The Heart of Sharjah area was perceived as cultural and educational tourism, and the Ajman Heritage District area was perceived as community tourism. Full article