Search Results (2,172)

Against the backdrop of a gradual shift in the focus of cultural heritage (CH) conservation and utilization toward the integrated system formed by CH and its surrounding environment as well as regional systems, research on the coordinated protection of nature and culture to promote regional high-quality development has become a new trend. However, systematic summaries of the spatial–temporal distribution of CH in cross-regional typical geomorphic units at the river basin scale and their correlation with the natural environment remain insufficient. This study takes 387 Cultural Relics Protection Units in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River (the Three Gorges region) as the research objects, utilizing GIS spatial analysis technology to examine the impact of the natural environment on CH across different periods and types. The theory of time-depth is introduced to reveal the layering mechanisms and underlying cultural logics. Coupled with the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model, this study constructs a cultural corridor network and proposes spatial planning strategies. The findings are as follows: (1) The absolute core area for the distribution of CH across all periods remains the gentle slope zone near the river, characterized by elevations below 500 m, slopes within 25°, and distances from water systems within 1 km. However, the adaptive scope exhibits a diachronic evolution from core accumulation to peripheral expansion. (2) Different types of CH exhibited distinct natural adaptation strategies and vertical accumulation. Settlement Sites in the Before Qin Dynasty Period formed the foundational layer of survival rationality, while Ordinary Tombs in the Qin–Yuan Dynasty Period reinforced sedentism. Ancient Architecture in the Ming–Qing Dynasty Period underwent a transformation from “adapting to nature” to “reconstructing nature” as a product of environmental construction. Modern and Contemporary Significant Historical Sites and Representative Buildings in the After Qing Dynasty Period are characterized by a ruptured insertion on steep slopes, inscribing revolutionary memory onto space. The main stream of the Yangtze River serves as the core area of continuous deposition, while the extremely steep slopes form a distinctive stratigraphic accumulation of precipitous terrain. (3) Based on these distribution patterns, the study further proposes a spatial framework for CH called “One Corridor, Three Wings.” This framework uses the main stream of the Yangtze River as the spatial–temporal axis, linking the four core overlapping nodes of Fengjie, Wushan, Badong, and Xiling, supplemented by three secondary cultural clusters of the red heritage sites in southern Badong, the ancient town along the Daning River in Wushan, and the fortress sites in the Xiling–Yiling area. This research not only reveals the evolutionary path of CH in the Three Gorges region, but also provides a scientific basis for the systematic conservation and differentiated utilization of regional CH. Furthermore, it serves as a planning foundation and strategic reference for planning the Yangtze River National Cultural Park, as well as for the integrated preservation and utilization of river basin CH and linear CH with the aim of coordinated natural and cultural conservation. Full article

Compact carbonate stones are widely used in architectural heritage for their aesthetic value and cultural significance, yet their long-term durability in saline environments remains insufficiently understood, particularly when assessed using standard salt crystallization tests developed primarily for porous lithotypes. This study investigates salt-induced deterioration in Portoro limestone, a compact ornamental carbonate extensively employed in historic architecture, considering four commercial varieties representative of heritage applications. Salt crystallization tests were performed using saturated sodium sulphate (Na₂SO₄) and sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions following the relevant European standard procedure, with the protocol extended to 45 cycles to capture delayed deterioration processes. Both untreated specimens and samples subjected to controlled thermal pre-conditioning at 300 °C and 500 °C were tested to activate latent microstructural weaknesses. Material decay was assessed through mass variation, porosity changes, surface observations, Leeb rebound hardness and ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements. Results demonstrate that deterioration is primarily controlled by salt type and microstructural characteristics rather than by total porosity. Sodium sulphate induced severe internal damage and abrupt structural failure associated with mirabilite crystallization, often following a prolonged phase of apparent stability. In contrast, sodium chloride causes mainly superficial effects with negligible mechanical impact. Thermal pre-conditioning accelerated damage development, while non-destructive techniques revealed internal deterioration well before visible damage occurred. These findings indicate that standard crystallization tests may be inadequate for low-porosity stones and that extended-cycle approaches provide a more reliable framework for durability assessment in saline environments. Full article

This contribution examines the use of ICT in mosaic heritage to enhance the user experience in heritage interpretation. The study focuses on the digital graphic reconstruction of a Roman mosaic featuring animal emblems. As the original mosaic is no longer physically accessible, the reconstruction relied on the systematic collection, comparison, and analysis of diverse visual sources, including archival photographs, historical drawings, and related documentation; photography and drone capture; digital assembly of borders of hand-drawn mosaic elements; and systematic assembly and completion of repetitions in representative mosaic motifs and observational color and design refinement of animal emblems. The article outlines the mosaic’s schematic layout and the key reconstruction steps, resulting in a digital representation developed within the limits imposed by the available evidence. The outcome demonstrates that combining historical research and digital graphics can effectively support the preservation and communication of cultural heritage. Finally, an augmented reality application for interactive presentation of the reconstructed mosaic is introduced, enabling users to explore both the reconstruction process and the interpretive meanings of individual mosaic elements, thereby enhancing engagement and understanding. Full article

This article investigates the phenomenon of numismatic forgery legitimisation and its impact on the fields of numismatics, archaeology, history and law. Forgery legitimisation is a broad phenomenon that encompasses both physical forgery and the presentation of fake artifacts as genuine in research literature, auction catalogues, and other contexts. Using the qualitative case-study methodology, the authors propose an analytical framework for suspected forgery legitimisation that incorporates a novel classification of forms and types of forgery, as well as socio-legal mens rea elements. The framework also accounts for factors contributing to the legitimisation of forgeries, including lack of competence, low competition in coin catalogue publication, tradition, closed numismatic communities, and insufficient academic and legal attention. Using this framework, the authors examine two cases of legitimisation of fake coins in medieval Polish–Lithuanian numismatics. The analysis shows how repetition across sources can legitimise fake artifacts, complicating later correction and corrupting heritage research, history and museum science, as well as market integrity. The proposed analytical framework can be useful for investigating other dubious artifacts and for developing analysis methods for forgery legitimisation cases. Full article

The Cândești necropolis is currently the largest excavated Bronze Age necropolis in Romania, with approximately 800 graves. Notably, one grave from an earlier phase of the Monteoru culture (c. 2200–1850 BC) contained a remarkable necklace composed of 22 perforated gastropod shells and a metal pendant. Our investigation adopted an integrated approach, including taxonomic identification, taphonomic, technological and functional analyses, experimental studies, and physico-chemical investigations (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy) of the pigment traces present on the shells’s surface. For the metal pendant, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis was conducted to ascertain its elemental composition. The combined analysis yielded unexpected insights: the shells, belonging to the genus Conus, originated from the Mediterranean region. The perforations were not the result of anthropic intervention; rather, they were the result of natural processes, indicating that the shells were collected from thanatocoenoses. The shells were assembled into the necklace using a thread colored with a red pigment. The perforations show signs of prolonged use, suggesting that the necklace was not only a funerary offering. In conclusion, our study indicated that these exotic shells were collected post-mortem already perforated through a rubbing process in the seashore sediments, transported to the site from a distance, and prior to the death of the owner, had been previously worn as personal adornment before being deposited as grave goods. Full article

This paper explores the value of imperfections and curated decay in the conservation of architecture and public art as vehicles of cultural memory. While conventional heritage practice treats physical degradation as a threat, newer conservation ethics argue for embracing material impermanence within an aesthetics of care. We examine how acknowledging patina, weathering, and even structural decline can become an act of care, maintaining the “spirit” and authenticity of a place. The theoretical framework integrated the aesthetics of imperfection, including concepts like the Japanese wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the incomplete and impermanent, critical heritage theory (which questions whose memories and values are preserved or excluded) and cultural memory studies (notably Nora’s notion of lieux de mémoire, where material sites become symbolic elements of communal memory). Methodologically, the article is grounded by two case-study video essays, Imperfections (Genoa) and Scars (Nicosia), as instruments of research, which provide visual analyses of decayed architectural environments. These examples illustrate how curated decay can transform abandoned buildings and war-scarred urban zones into powerful mnemonic devices, provoking reflection on history, identity and the ethics of preservation. Despite extensive theorisation of patina/age-value and curated decay, recent heritage debates offer limited operational criteria for distinguishing intentional curated decay from unmanaged neglect in lived urban conservation contexts. Drawing on ethics and aesthetics of care, this article asks if and how care can be operationalised into a decision framework for urban conservation and tests this framework through two selected buildings: Albergo dei Poveri (Genoa) and Home for Cooperation (Nicosia). The authors argue that caring for heritage does not always mean restoring it to an as-new state; curating ageing and traces of time can support remembrance, resilience, and reconciliation, enriching heritage’s role in future urban imaginaries. Full article

This study presents the results of an archaeometric investigation of white marble votive reliefs from the Roman city of Pautalia (modern Kyustendil, Bulgaria), with the aim of clarifying patterns of material selection, production, and connectivity within the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. Although these votive monuments, primarily dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, have long been examined from stylistic, iconographic, and epigraphic perspectives, the provenance of the marble used in their manufacture has remained largely unexplored. A total of 27 votive reliefs from urban and extra-urban sanctuary contexts were analysed using a multi-method approach combining petrographic analysis, stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O), and trace element analysis by ICP-MS, and compared against an extensive geological reference database of ancient marble quarries. The results indicate a clear predominance of local and regional marble sources, alongside a limited but meaningful presence of imported material. This distribution pattern supports the existence of local workshops operating in or near Pautalia, which relied primarily on nearby quarry sources while selectively incorporating imported marble, likely through the reuse of pre-existing blocks or workshop offcuts rather than through systematic long-distance supply. These findings underscore Pautalia’s role as a regional production centre and as a nodal point within wider networks connecting the Aegean world and the Balkan hinterland. Full article

This paper develops the Mobilized Nostalgia Tourism conceptual model, positioning historic automotive events as dynamic, multisensory mobile heritage performances through which nostalgia is actively produced rather than merely recalled. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship across heritage studies, mobilities and performance perspectives, and destination branding, the model specifies how event design levers (sensory staging, narrative scripting, participation architecture, and digital mediation) can mobilize nostalgia as an affective mechanism, shaping visitor outcomes (authenticity, memorability, attachment, advocacy) and, under certain conditions, destination outcomes (brand meaning, dispersion effects, and cultural capital). The paper uses three illustrative cases—Mille Miglia (Italy), Goodwood Revival (England), and the Historic Acropolis Rally (Greece)—to demonstrate the model’s portability and to highlight variation in how mobilized nostalgia is staged and contested. By clarifying constructs, boundary conditions, and propositions, the paper provides an analytical vocabulary that supports comparative research and offers practical insight for designing heritage events that are emotionally resonant, culturally legitimate, and strategically coherent. The proposed model is widely applicable, extending beyond automotive events to vintage railway, aviation, maritime heritage tourism, and diverse cultural festivals. Furthermore, it translates the mechanism model into a practical design toolkit that can inform event organizers, destination managers, and policymakers as they develop affect-rich heritage experiences and manage trade-offs around authenticity, community legitimacy, and sustainability. Last, the paper outlines empirical pathways, including mixed-method approaches, for future validation of its conceptual propositions. Full article

Historical water management infrastructures, often comprising underground environments, represent a significant example of the interplay between built heritage and the natural substrate. This study proposes an interdisciplinary, integrated and multi-scalar investigative methodology for such structures. Through the analysis of the case study of Palombaro Purgatoro Vecchio, a large historical public water cistern located in Matera in Italy, this paper presents a rigorous methodology replicable in different contexts. Bibliographic and archival research establish the knowledge base regarding the structure’s historical evolution; territorial and hydromorphic analyses, supported by GIS, highlight the dynamics of the surrounding watersheds. Meanwhile, a digital survey integrating SLAM and photogrammetry provides geometric-dimensional data, serving as the foundation for analysing construction techniques and materials. The selection of accessible and manageable technologies promotes a practical, replicable investigative methodology aimed at the protection, comprehension, enhancement and dissemination of water UBH. Full article

Man-made hazards pose serious threats to the safety and preservation of heritage structures. With armed conflict becoming increasingly prominent, it is urgent to enhance our understanding of how these structures respond under extreme conditions to drive conservation strategies. The Citadel of Aleppo in Syria, placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2013 due to the civil war, tragically exemplifies the vulnerability of cultural heritage in times of conflict. In such a framework, this study focuses on the Minaret of the Ayyubid Great Mosque of the Citadel of Aleppo as a representative masonry tower to investigate the effects of man-made threats. Based on a 3D finite element model built in the Abaqus/Explicit environment, blast scenarios associated with aviation bombs and human-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were simulated. The Conventional Weapons Effects (CONWEP) model was used to assess the structural response to blast pressures, also as a function of charge size, standoff distance, and modelling parameters (mesh size, strain rate). This study’s outcomes provide insights into the potential damage caused by aviation bombs and IED attacks, advancing the understanding of the vulnerability of tower-like masonry structures to such hazards while also informing future conservation strategies. Full article

This research investigates the colonnade of Tomb 7 at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos, Cyprus. Specifically, a multi-drum column located at the south-east corner of the tomb is examined from both geometric and structural perspectives. Being the only standing element to support the entablature on that side of the tomb, the column is crucial for maintaining the structural stability of the monument. Numerical structural analyses are performed on the column via the finite element method (FEM), supported by close-range recording techniques—particularly terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)—to generate finite element (FE) models. Several modelling strategies capable of converting point cloud data into reliable structural models are developed and compared with the aim of identifying the most effective and cost-efficient approach. Each method is analyzed in detail to evaluate its workflow, assumptions, strengths, and limitations in the context of heritage structures with complex irregular geometries. Linear static and dynamic analyses are performed on five different FE models to assess the column’s mechanical response and to understand how differences in geometric representation affect the structural behaviour. The results indicate that all approaches adequately capture the general structural response. The comparison of the different modelling strategies highlights the trade-offs between geometric accuracy, computational efficiency, and practical usability. These outcomes indicate the potential and the current limitations of exploiting point cloud data for structural analysis and contribute to the development of more robust and accurate scan-to-FEM methodologies for the conservation and assessment of cultural heritage structures. Full article

Detecting surface potsherds using low-altitude remote sensing is challenging due to severe class imbalance and limited training data. This study develops and validates a semi-automatic detection methodology that adapts threshold-optimized boosting classifiers (AdaBoost, XGBoost) to maximize ceramic detection recall under extreme class imbalance in the Western Megaris archeological landscape, Greece. Models were trained on only 15% of the available data to simulate realistic field conditions. Evaluation emphasized recall-oriented metrics (precision, recall, F1-score, AUC) for the minority class, addressing the accuracy paradox where high overall accuracy masks poor rare-class performance. Threshold optimization enabled AdaBoost and XGBoost to achieve substantially improved recall compared to baseline methods, with detection-to-ground-truth ratios of 2.5 and 3.2, respectively, reflecting deliberate prioritization of recall over precision for exploratory survey purposes. The results demonstrate that this methodological framework provides archeologically interpretable screening tools for identifying high-probability ceramic locations, supporting more efficient field survey design and heritage documentation workflows in Mediterranean landscapes. Full article

This study analyses the educational and social impact of a series of innovative teaching projects developed at the Museum of the History of Pharmacy of the University of Seville. The initiatives—including historical video documentaries, the “student guides” programme, and the digital outreach project “Voices that Empower”—explore the pedagogical potential of scientific heritage as a learning tool and as a medium for public communication. Through experiential and service-learning methodologies, these projects have enhanced students’ communication skills, critical thinking, and awareness of cultural and gender dimensions within pharmaceutical studies. The results demonstrate that the integration of audiovisual production, museum-based learning, and digital storytelling fosters meaningful engagement between the university and society, while also revitalising the historical and humanistic dimensions of pharmacy. Furthermore, the inclusion of a gender perspective in the “Voices that Empower” initiative contributes to the visibility of women in STEM and highlights the museum as a space for empowerment and social transformation. This work concludes that university museums can act as strategic platforms for innovation in higher education, combining heritage preservation, teaching excellence, and civic outreach to promote a more inclusive and sustainable scientific culture. Full article

The authors provide further elements in support of the hypothesized use at Pompeii of an advanced repeating dart-thrower. This article primarily emphasizes the strong formal analogy between Philo of Byzantium’s description (3rd century BC) of the damage produced by the polybolos and the distinctive configurations of quadrangular cavities arranged at short intervals along a curved line, identified and documented during the 2024 digital survey and metric documentation campaigns. The processed trace models, selected as emblematic case studies, constitute the starting point of the workflows developed in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team participating in the SCORPiò-NIDI project (PRIN22). The resulting hypotheses were formulated with awareness of fundamental polemological knowledge, as well as of the historical and technological development of Roman artillery, whose functional principles are now largely clarified. The originality of the study lies in the possibility of “certifying” the dimensional module on which the entire weapon is proportioned, once the terminal ballistic parameters are assessed within a dedicated digital analytical environment. This activity is intended to be further developed, in the hope of fostering broader and more participatory interdisciplinary collaboration within the archeological area of Pompeii. At present, the article reconstructs the research experience acquired so far, highlighting connections between previous publications and proposing both a starting point for further research and a methodological tool for further investigations required to verify the hypothesis and reconstruct the polybolos. The historical relationship between Rhodes and the military decisions preceding the siege of Pompeii provides additional contextual background for the proposed scenario. Full article

This research establishes a high-fidelity documentation framework utilizing multi-sensor 3D data to support critical decisions regarding the conservation and preservation of monuments in urban environments. Focus is placed on the Morosini Fountain, Heraklion, Crete, a 17th-century monument facing significant deterioration due to environmental stressors, material-specific decay of limestone and marble, and cumulative historical interventions. Placed within the context of contemporary cultural heritage management, the research establishes a high-fidelity 3D digital representative to support interdisciplinary documentation and a decision-support framework for restoration. The methodology employs handheld structured light scanning for high geometric accuracy with close-range digital photogrammetry to ensure high-fidelity color acquisition. Strategic semantic segmentation of the monument into architectural components—such as lobes, lions, and basins—facilitated large scale dataset management and optimized alignment procedures under challenging urban conditions, including intense direct sunlight and active water flow. Results include the delivery of metrically accurate multi-resolution models and 2D orthographic products. Quantitative pathology mapping successfully identified extensive affected surface areas on specific panels, while multi-scale geometric morphological analysis effectively identified high-complexity surface areas, which were subsequently classified as either intentional artistic form or active decay through expert visual assessment between intentional artistic form and active alveolar erosion or exogenous accretions. The study concludes that this enhanced digital model serves as an indispensable tool for sustainable management, transforming passive records into active predictive simulations. The implementation of multi-sensor 3D data provides the essential evidentiary basis for high-stakes conservation decisions, demonstrating that comprehensive digital recording is vital for the resilience of urban heritage landmarks. Full article