Search Results (142)

Museums play an essential role in preserving both cultural and natural heritage, safeguarding samples that offer invaluable insights into our history and scientific understanding. The integration of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has significantly advanced the study, restoration, and conservation of these priceless objects. This work explores the application of micro-CT across three critical areas of museum practice: sample virtualization, restoration assessment, and the analysis of fossil specimens. Specifically, micro-CT scanning was applied to fossils stored in the G.A.M.P.S. collection (Scandicci, Italy), enabling the creation of highly detailed non-invasive 3D models for digital archiving and virtual exhibitions. At the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, micro-CT was employed to evaluate fossil bone restoration treatments, focusing on the internal impact of menthol as a consolidant and its effects on the structural integrity of the material. Furthermore, micro-CT was utilized to investigate a sealed bee preserved in its cocoon within a paleosol in Costa Vicentina (Portugal), providing unprecedented insights into its internal anatomy and state of preservation, all while maintaining the integrity of the specimen. The results of this study underscore the versatility of micro-CT as a powerful non-destructive tool for advancing the fields of conservation, restoration, and scientific analysis of cultural and natural heritage. By integrating high-resolution imaging with both virtual and hands-on conservation strategies, micro-CT empowers museums to enhance research capabilities, improve preservation methodologies, and foster greater public engagement with their collections. Full article

This study presents a cross-cultural comparison of two fortified residences—Palazzo Farnese in Italy and Dong’s Fortified Compound in China—through a triadic analytical framework encompassing architectural form, symbolic ornamentation, and public perception. By combining field observation, iconographic interpretation, and digital ethnography, the research investigates how heritage meaning is constructed, encoded, and reinterpreted across distinct sociocultural contexts. Empirical materials include architectural documentation, decorative analysis, and a curated dataset of 4947 user-generated images and 1467 textual comments collected from Chinese and international platforms between 2020 and 2024. Methods such as CLIP-based visual clustering and BERTopic-enabled sentiment modelling were applied to extract patterns of perception and symbolic emphasis. The findings reveal contrasting representational logics: Palazzo Farnese encodes dynastic authority and Renaissance cosmology through geometric order and immersive frescoes, while Dong’s Compound conveys Confucian ethics and frontier identity via nested courtyards and traditional ornamentation. Digital responses diverge accordingly: international users highlight formal aesthetics and photogenic elements; Chinese users engage with symbolic motifs, family memory, and ritual significance. This study illustrates how historically fortified residences are reinterpreted through culturally specific digital practices, offering an interdisciplinary approach that bridges architectural history, symbolic analysis, and digital heritage studies. Full article

Early printed books, particularly incunabula, are invaluable archives of the beginnings of modern educational systems. However, their complex layouts, antique typefaces, and page degradation caused by bleed-through and ink fading pose significant challenges for automatic transcription. In this work, we present a modular pipeline that addresses these problems by combining modern layout analysis and language modeling techniques. The pipeline begins with historical layout-aware text segmentation using Kraken, a neural network-based tool tailored for early typographic structures. Initial optical character recognition (OCR) is then performed with Kraken’s recognition engine, followed by post-correction using a fine-tuned ByT5 transformer model trained on manually aligned line-level data. By learning to map noisy OCR outputs to verified transcriptions, the model substantially improves recognition quality. The pipeline also integrates a preprocessing stage based on our previous work on bleed-through removal using robust statistical filters, including non-local means, Gaussian mixtures, biweight estimation, and Gaussian blur. This step enhances the legibility of degraded pages prior to OCR. The entire solution is open, modular, and scalable, supporting long-term preservation and improved accessibility of cultural heritage materials. Experimental results on 15th-century incunabula show a reduction in the Character Error Rate (CER) from around 38% to around 15% and an increase in the Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) score from 22 to 44, confirming the effectiveness of our approach. This work demonstrates the potential of integrating transformer-based correction with layout-aware segmentation to enhance OCR accuracy in digital humanities applications. Full article

This paper investigates digital comics—particularly webcomics and webtoons—as emerging forms of cultural heritage, analyzing their exponential global influence alongside the limitations of traditional heritage frameworks in systematically preserving them. The UNESCO heritage model, rooted in concepts of physical fixity and authenticity, is shown as inadequate for born-digital works like comics, which derive meaning from technological infrastructure, dynamic platforms, and ongoing community interaction rather than static material forms. Drawing on heritage futures and digital materiality theories, the authors argue that digital comics exemplify "temporal authenticity," evolving through continual transformation and algorithmic curation. The paper details how platform recommendation systems and analytics directly shape which comics achieve cultural visibility and preservation, while community-driven initiatives—such as The Flashpoint Archive—demonstrate effective models for holistic, grassroots digital preservation beyond institutional reach. Ultimately, the study calls for new theoretical and practical approaches to heritage, recognizing digital comics as both cultural artifacts and dynamic, platform-specific vernacular expressions. Full article

Radiography, favoured for its ability to provide a non-invasive insight into the contents of wrapped or coffined artefacts, has revolutionised the study of mummified human and animal remains. Despite this potential, the technology is limited by its capacity to realistically visualise the surface attributes of these often-complex artefacts. In this paper, photogrammetry—a technique widely used in archaeology and heritage applications—is applied to build upon the radiographic investigation of six ancient Egyptian votive artefacts from Manchester Museum; a study which combines the two techniques for the first time on votive material from the collection. The paper showcases the results gained through clinical radiography techniques (digital X-ray and computed tomography) on the internal contents of the artefacts, highlighting the problems encountered when viewing the outer surface. With a simple on-site photogrammetry protocol, improved visualisation was possible, providing photo-realistic renderings with important potential for both research, conservation and engagement. Full article

This research aims to investigate the Italian architectural heritage in Brazil through the analysis of the ‘Santa Casa de Misericórdia’ hospital in São Carlos, in the state of São Paulo. As part of the KNOW.IT national project, the work aims to recover and digitally enhance Italian heritage abroad from the 19th and 20th centuries. The buildings analysed were either designed or built by Italian architects who emigrated to South America or constructed using materials and techniques typical of Italian architecture of those years. The hospital, designed by the Italian architect Samuele Malfatti in 1891, was chosen for its historical value and its role in the urban context of the city of São Carlos, which, moreover, continues to perform its function even today. The study aims to create a digital archive with 3D models and two-dimensional graphical drawings. The methodology includes historical analysis, photogrammetric survey, and digital modelling using Agisoft Metashape and 3DF Zephyr software. A total of 636 images were processed, with the maximum resolution achieved in the models being 3526 × 2097 pixels. The results highlight the influence of Italian architecture on late 19th-century São Carlos and promote its virtual accessibility and wide-ranging knowledge. Full article

Energy retrofitting of historic buildings presents complex challenges, particularly when using internal insulation strategies. While such interventions can enhance thermal comfort and reduce energy demand, they can also pose risks of condensation and mold formation, thereby reducing usable space. This paper proposes an evaluation methodology for assessing the performance of internal insulating panels within a multicriteria framework to support decision-making during the design phase. The approach, scalable to various contexts, is grounded in a digital workflow that integrates heritage building information modeling (HBIM), visual programming (VP), and building energy modeling (BEM) to create a decision-support tool for renovation designers. The methodology, tested on a building located in Bologna (Italy), allows for assessing internal insulation systems with varying thermophysical properties and performance characteristics, and evaluating how they affect space- and wall-level key performance indicators, including condensation risk, energy efficiency improvement, and usable space reduction. The research was conducted under the Horizon Europe HERIT4AGES project, which aims to develop reversible, innovative insulation panels fabricated from local and recycled materials for historic building retrofitting. Full article

Preserving cultural heritage can be efficiently supported by structured and semantic representation of historical artifacts. Bookbinding, a critical aspect of book history, provides valuable insights into past craftsmanship, material use, and conservation practices. However, existing bibliographic records often lack the depth needed to analyze bookbinding techniques, provenance, and preservation status. This paper presents a proof-of-concept system that explores how Large Language Models (LLMs) can support knowledge graph engineering within the context of 19th-century Greek bookbinding (1830–1900), and as a result, generate a domain-specific ontology and a knowledge graph. Our ontology encapsulates materials, binding techniques, artistic styles, and conservation history, integrating metadata standards like MARC and Dublin Core to ensure interoperability with existing library and archival systems. To validate its effectiveness, we construct a Neo4j knowledge graph, based on the generated ontology and utilize Cypher Queries—including LLM-generated queries—to extract insights about bookbinding practices and trends. This study also explores how semantic reasoning over the knowledge graph can identify historical binding patterns, assess book conservation needs, and infer relationships between bookbinding workshops. Unlike previous bibliographic ontologies, our approach provides a comprehensive, semantically rich representation of bookbinding history, methods and techniques, supporting scholars, conservators, and cultural heritage institutions. By demonstrating how LLMs can assist in ontology/KG creation and query generation, we introduce and evaluate a semi-automated pipeline as a methodological demonstration for studying historical bookbinding, contributing to digital humanities, book conservation, and cultural informatics. Finally, the proposed approach can be used in other domains, thus, being generally applicable in knowledge engineering. Full article

This study aims to photograph, design, and digitally document the surviving residential buildings on the island of Halki (Heybeliada), within the Princes’ Islands. This documentation focuses on the architectural, urban, and historical aspects of Halki, highlighting the significant material evidence of the Greek social and economic presence. It also examines the urban cultural heritage as depicted in Turkish literature of that period to understand how Turkish writers perceived and presented Halki, referencing the Princes’ Islands only for background context. The methodology includes the collection of material from residents through bibliographic and field research conducted on Halki. Based on these findings, a mobile augmented reality (AR) application was developed using the TaleBlazer platform, designed specifically for use on Halki. The application provides a virtual tour with multimedia-supported thematic layers of architectural and historical information. Its usability and learnability were evaluated using a questionnaire completed by students. The results showed high usability, user satisfaction, and perceived value of learning, with the majority of results close to a median score of 4 out of 5. The students identified the occurrence of immersive experience, ease of use, and the emotional stimulation created by the integration of spatial storytelling and multimedia. This paper also shows how the convergence of cultural content (history, architecture, and literature) can enhance interpretations and experiences with mobile AR technologies. Full article

This paper proposes an experimental procedure based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with statistical classification for assessing archaeo-paleoanthropological stratigraphic deposits at the Gran Dolina site (TD10 unit), located in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). Representative spectral reflectance signatures were determined and analyzed using HSI measurements and statistical classification methods in natural light conditions across various capture distances. This study aims to characterize and quantify cave sediments by defining spectral models for feature classification and spectral similarity analysis, evaluating the strengths and limitations of spectral captures at this specific site. HSI technology enhances the analysis and identification of materials at an internationally recognized reference site for human evolution studies. Hyperspectral imaging assessment of archaeo-paleoanthropological stratigraphic deposits emerges as an innovative digital tool, revolutionizing the sustainable management of cultural heritage and environmental sciences by enabling advanced material identification and stratigraphic analysis. Full article

The digital transition and decarbonization are strategic European objectives, supported at different levels by the Green Deal, the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD), and policies and tools such as the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). The SRI measures a building’s ability to use intelligent technologies to reduce its consumption and increase the energy awareness of occupants for energy efficiency. Furthermore, today, it has a limited impact on national regulations and public decision-making. Its application presents challenges including those related to heritage conservation. This paper contributes to the Italian SRI framework through an experimental application in the renovation of a historic building in the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria (Italy). The analysis evaluates the SRI’s adaptability by comparing its pre-renovated state, current state, and pre-design plan. The SRI calculation integrates assessment tools with BIM models for a potential future digital twin approach. The study, part of a funded national research project, aims to enhance policies for digitalization in the green transition. The paper is organized into the Introduction; Materials and Methods, which contains the methodological approach; Results; and Discussion and Conclusions. Following the experimental application, the results show that standardizing the SRI approach could enhance energy efficiency and digitalization in buildings. Full article

This article carries out an interdisciplinary analysis of five MOOC courses developed by the University of Valladolid and offered on higher education platforms between 2020 and 2024. This research is based on the study of the lexical categories used by the informants participating in these courses, establishing a correlation with the theoretical and practical debates surrounding the definition of heritage and the frameworks of contemporary heritage education. Through a metalinguistic approach, the semantic limits of the emerging lexical categories are examined, paying attention to their ambiguity, polysemy and contexts of use, both from a formal linguistic perspective and from a hermeneutic approach. The analysis is based on natural language processing tools, complemented by qualitative techniques from applied linguistics and cultural studies. This dual approach, both scientific–statistical and humanistically nuanced, allows us to identify recurrent discursive patterns, as well as significant variations in the conceptualization of heritage according to the socio-cultural and geographical profiles of the participants. The results of the linguistic analysis are contrasted with the thematic lines investigated by our research group, focusing on cultural policy, legacy policies, narratives linked to the culture of depopulation, disputed scientific paradigms, and specific lexical categories in the Latin American context. In this sense, the article takes a critical look at discursive production in massive online learning environments, positioning language as a key indicator of the processes of cultural resignification and the construction of legacy knowledge in the Ibero-American context. The findings of my scientific article underscore the pressing need for a multiform liberation of the traditionally constrained concept of heritage, which has long been framed within rigid institutional, legal, and disciplinary boundaries. This normative framework, often centered on materiality, monumentalism, and expert-driven narratives, limits the full potential of heritage as a relational and socially embedded construct. My research reveals that diverse social agents—ranging from educators and local communities to cultural mediators and digital users—demand a more flexible, inclusive, and participatory understanding of heritage. This shift calls for redefining legacy not as a static legacy to be preserved but as a dynamic bond, deeply rooted in affective, symbolic, and intersubjective dimensions. The concept of “heritage as bond”, as developed in contemporary critical theory, provides a robust framework for this reconceptualization. Furthermore, the article highlights the need for a new vehiculation of access—one that expands heritage experience and appropriation beyond elite circles and institutionalized contexts into broader social ecosystems such as education, digital platforms, civil society, and everyday life. This approach promotes legacy democratization, fostering horizontal engagement and collective meaning-making. Ultimately, the findings advocate for a paradigm shift toward an open, polyphonic, and affective heritage model, capable of responding to contemporary socio-cultural complexities. Full article

In the wake of the Holocaust and the post-war reconstruction of Greece’s historic city centers, many Greek synagogues were demolished, abandoned, or appropriated, erasing centuries of Jewish architectural and communal presence. This study presents a thirty year-long research and documentation initiative aimed at preserving, recovering, and eventually digitally reconstructing these “lost” synagogues, both as individual buildings and within their urban context. Drawing on architectural surveys, archival research, oral histories, and previously unpublished materials, including the recently rediscovered Shemtov Samuel archive, the project grew through the use of technology. Beginning with in situ surveys in the early 1990s, it evolved into full-scale digitally enhanced architectural drawings that formed the basis for further digital exploration, 3D models, and virtual reality outputs. With the addition of these new tools to existing documentation, the project can restore architectural detail and cultural context with a high degree of fidelity, even in cases where only fragmentary evidence survives. These digital reconstructions have informed physical restoration efforts as well as public exhibitions, heritage education, and urban memory initiatives across Greece. By reintroducing “invisible” Jewish landmarks into contemporary consciousness, the study addresses the broader implications of post-war urban homogenization, the marginalization of minority heritage, and the ethical dimensions of digital preservation. This interdisciplinary approach, which bridges architectural history, digital humanities, urban studies, and cultural heritage, demonstrates the value of digital tools in reconstructing “lost” pasts and highlights the potential for similar projects in other regions facing comparable erasures. Full article

This paper argues for a paradigm shift in heritage conservation—one that integrates affective connections, digital technologies, and circular economy principles to respond to the complex realities of urban transformation. Using the case of the Dennys Lascelles Wool Store in Geelong, this position paper contends that current preservation models, rooted in the Authoritative Heritage Discourse (AHD), are inadequate for addressing the nuanced value of industrial heritage, particularly when physical structures are altered or lost. The demolition of the Wool Store’s iconic bow truss structure exemplifies the tension between rapid urban development and heritage conservation. While the physical element has been removed, the site’s cultural and emotional resonance persists, underscoring the role of affect in shaping collective memory and place identity. This paper positions affect as a critical component of heritage discourse—one that expands beyond materiality to include sensory and emotional dimensions often overlooked by institutional frameworks. Digital heritage technologies offer powerful tools to document, represent, and interpret both tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage. In the case of the Wool Store, these tools not only preserve what has been lost but also invite public engagement and reinterpretation. However, preservation should not end with digital replication. A circular economy approach calls for the adaptive reuse of remaining structures, allowing historic sites to evolve functionally while retaining their significance. Full article

Traditional ethnographic methods have long been employed to study craft practices, yet they often fall short of capturing the full depth of embodied knowledge, material interactions, and procedural workflows inherent in craftsmanship. This paper introduces a digitally enhanced ethnographic framework that integrates Motion Capture, 3D scanning, audiovisual documentation, and semantic knowledge representation to document both the tangible and dynamic aspects of craft processes. By distinguishing between endurant (tools, materials, objects) and perdurant (actions, events, transformations) entities, we propose a structured methodology for analyzing craft gestures, material behaviors, and production workflows. The study applies this proposed framework to eight European craft traditions—including glassblowing, tapestry weaving, woodcarving, porcelain pottery, marble carving, silversmithing, clay pottery, and textile weaving—demonstrating the adaptability of digital ethnographic tools across disciplines. Through a combination of multimodal data acquisition and expert-driven annotation, we present a comprehensive model for craft documentation that enhances the preservation, education, and analysis of artisanal knowledge. This research contributes to the ongoing evolution of ethnographic methods by bridging digital technology with Cultural Heritage studies, offering a robust framework for understanding the mechanics and meanings of craft practices. Full article