Search Results (11,845)

Intergenerational memories, migration histories, and the lasting influence of colonial linguistic systems profoundly shape heritage language maintenance in Afro-descendant communities of Central America. This study examines how genealogy functions as a pedagogical tool for sustaining English-based Creole languages among Afro-descendant populations in Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize, three nations linked by Afro-Caribbean migration yet shaped by distinct colonial and educational systems. Drawing on scholarship documenting oral histories, family narratives, and community-based linguistic practices, the study advances a genealogy-as-pedagogy framework to explain how families transmit language, identity, and belonging across generations through ancestral memory, positioning family-based knowledge transmission as curriculum. In Costa Rica and Panama, where Spanish colonial and post-independence language ideologies marginalize English-based Creole varieties, genealogical practices operate as primary mechanisms of linguistic continuity in the absence of sustained institutional support. In Belize, by contrast, British colonial legacies and the national recognition of Belizean Kriol create a distinct sociolinguistic environment in which state institutions, the media, and educational policy reinforce genealogical memory. Through comparative analysis, the study argues for integrating genealogical knowledge into multilingual education, community revitalization initiatives, and heritage language policy to strengthen Afro-descendant linguistic continuity in Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize. Full article

Since At-Turaif’s inscription as a World Heritage Site in 2010, Al-Diriyah and its peripheries have witnessed massive urban development. With the recently proposed Wadi Safar project, the expansion of Al-Diriyah has taken another turn, as it is conceptualized as a luxury driven mixed-use district, integrating cultural experiences that are rooted in the past. This research examines the urban development of Al-Diriyah through the lens of the Experience Economy Model (1998), in which value is derived not just from objects or spaces but from the memorable and immersive experiences they tend to incorporate. This study employs a qualitative-case study methodology structured through a five-phase analytical framework that spans from 2010 to 2025/2030. Utilizing a deductive qualitative approach, the analysis demonstrates a differentiated application of the four experiential realms of the Experience Economy Model across the study sites. While At-Turaif predominantly engages two experiential dimensions and the broader regeneration of Al-Diriyah incorporates three, the planned development of Wadi Safar is designed to encompass all four dimensions of the Experience Economy. This configuration produces a balanced spectrum of active and passive participation as well as absorption and immersion, positioning Wadi Safar within Al-Diriyah’s broader transformation into the world’s largest heritage-led urban development. The findings contribute to the theme of a thriving economy of KSA Vision 2030 by advancing heritage-oriented experience as a pathway towards economic diversification. Full article

Karst water systems are highly vulnerable to land use pressures, requiring integrated assessments to support conservation and management. This study evaluated the physicochemical, microbiological, and pesticide-related water quality in the Environmental Protection Area Nascentes do Rio Vermelho (APANRV), a karst conservation unit in the Brazilian Cerrado. Sixteen sampling sites (rivers, springs, and cave waters) were monitored during the dry (May 2024) and rainy (October 2024) seasons. Analyses included nutrients, major ions, Escherichia coli, and a broad spectrum of pesticides. The results showed marked spatial and seasonal variability, with elevated hardness and conductivity in karst areas due to carbonate dissolution. Nitrate and total phosphorus reached peak values of 13.59 and 0.132 mg L⁻¹, respectively, indicating localized nutrient enrichment. E. coli concentrations reached ≥2419.6 MPN 100 mL⁻¹, exceeding regulatory limits, particularly during the rainy season at recreational cave sites. Pesticides were detected in both seasons, with 11 compounds in the dry season and 8 in the rainy season, including atrazine degradation products, and maximum quantified concentrations up to 1.8 µg L⁻¹ (acephate). These findings highlight the combined influence of geology, seasonality, and land use on karst water quality and reinforce the need for continuous monitoring and targeted management strategies. Full article

Low-accessible Cultural Heritage, including hypogeal sites, rupestrian architectures, and fragile structures, represents a major challenge for conservation, documentation, and continuous monitoring. These limitations stem from multiple inaccessibility factors, classified as physical (morphological complexity), asset risk (microclimatic instability), health and safety (structural vulnerability), managerial (lack of public access), and cognitive (lack of documentation). This research aims to transform digital models from mere representational tools into integrated cognitive and operational systems supporting decision-making and preventive conservation. The proposed methodological workflow is structured into five main phases: Preliminary Knowledge and Multidisciplinary Data Structuring (Ph1. PK–MDS), Comprehensive Digital Survey (Ph2. CDS), Development of Integrated Digital Models (Ph3. IDMs), Advanced Diagnosis and Monitoring (Ph4. ADM) and the implementation of an Integrated Digital Environment for Hypogeal Heritage Management (Ph5. IDE). Ph4 operates on two complementary scales: at the site scale, range-based point clouds enable the semi-automatic identification of extensive decay patterns, such as biological colonization. At the detail scale, the Random Forest algorithm enables the segmentation and quantification of material loss on frescoed surfaces through a diachronic comparison of historical and current data. Validated on the San Pellegrino complex in Matera, selected as a paradigmatic case study of low-accessibility hypogeal sites, representative of a broader system comprising approximately 150 rupestrian cult architectures, the methodology demonstrates how immersive digital environments function as shared knowledge spaces, supporting more informed, inclusive, and resilient heritage conservative management. Full article

We explored the application of spatial information technology in the assessment and optimization of cultural heritage resources within traditional settlements in Meizhou City, a core area of Hakka culture in China. By integrating methods such as geographic information systems and Kernel density estimation, it systematically evaluates the spatial distribution and socioeconomic conditions of these settlements. A multi-criteria evaluation model is constructed to quantify resource endowment across cultural, historical, and ecological dimensions, with particular emphasis on key factors influencing conservation effectiveness, such as infrastructure and economic vitality. Combining field investigations and literature review, we propose adaptive reuse strategies and policy recommendations to enhance settlement resilience and balance cultural preservation with regional development. Their expected outcomes include the engineering of a multidimensional geographic database for traditional settlements, the establishment of a spatial decision-support framework for heritage infrastructure conservation, and the development of systematic optimization protocols integrated with China’s rural revitalization technical policies. These results provide a computational and methodological foundation for interdisciplinary research in sustainable cultural heritage management and smart rural engineering. Full article

Underwater cultural heritage represents a fragile and largely unexplored component of historical landscapes, particularly in dynamic fluvial and coastal environments. Despite increasing international attention to its protection, the spatial identification of submerged heritage remains methodologically challenging. This study proposes a geo-historical approach that integrates historical cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify areas of high archaeological potential in underwater contexts. Focusing on the Douro River in Porto (Portugal), a UNESCO World Heritage city with a long maritime and fluvial history, the research analyses a set of key historical maps from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, complemented by documentary and archaeological sources. These cartographic materials were georeferenced and critically assessed in QGIS, enabling the digitisation of features associated with land–water interaction, navigation hazards, port infrastructures, and military defences. The resulting spatial dataset was used to generate an interpretative map and a kernel density model highlighting potential underwater heritage hotspots along the riverbed and riverbanks. The findings identify several priority zones, including the river mouth, historic quays, former shipbuilding areas, and sectors linked to nineteenth-century defensive structures. While the study does not include in situ verification, it demonstrates the value of historical maps as predictive tools for guiding targeted underwater surveys and proposes a transferable, cost-effective framework for heritage prospection and management in historically active fluvial–estuarine settings. Full article

Dispersed archaeological landscapes are often rich in heritage value but weakly integrated into regional tourism systems. This creates difficulties in visitor orientation, interpretive continuity, and conservation-sensitive tourism planning. In response to this problem, this study examines the Adana–Kozan–Anavarza axis in southern Türkiye and proposes a spatial corridor framework for organising tourism development within a dispersed archaeological landscape. The research integrates spatial accessibility assessment, service-capacity evaluation, field observation, and sequential route design in order to establish a hierarchical gateway–transition–anchor configuration. Anavarza, one of the largest archaeological complexes of Cilicia, represents a monumental urban heritage site and a biocultural landscape situated within a Mediterranean ecological zone historically associated with Pedanius Dioscorides. Although current visitor volumes remain moderate, official statistics indicate a substantial increase in annual entries between 2022 and 2024, reflecting rising destination visibility. This emerging growth trajectory underscores the need for proactive spatial governance mechanisms prior to the onset of congestion and environmental degradation pressures. The findings suggest that Adana can function as a metropolitan gateway, Kozan as an intermediate staging node, and Anavarza as the archaeological anchor within a realistic multi-day visitor sequence. In this configuration, visitor functions are distributed across multiple nodes, while the ecological and archaeological sensitivity of the anchor landscape is more cautiously managed through spatial sequencing. Rather than proposing a predictive model, the study develops and assesses a context-responsive spatial planning framework grounded in accessibility, infrastructural feasibility, and conservation-sensitive visitor distribution. Beyond the local case, the study offers a transferable hierarchical staging logic for corridor-based heritage planning. Full article

This paper presents the results of research conducted as part of a bilateral cooperation project between National Research Council (Italy) and Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (China) for the conservation of the earthen walls of Ancient Ulanbay City (Xinjiang, China). In 2007 and 2012, conservation interventions were carried out on the remains of the ancient walls, focusing on areas at risk of collapse. This involved the construction of new adobe masonry (sun-dried earthen bricks and mud mortar) to support the ancient rammed-earth walls, which required consolidation treatments due to their exposure to weathering. In order to support the site’s conservation efforts, several nanoproducts were selected for testing as consolidants for the adobe bricks. Nano-silica (NanoEstel) and nano-lime (Calosil E25), with and without ethyl silicate, and a nano-calcium oxalate-functionalized ethyl silicate (SurfaPore FX WB) were tested and compared with commonly used products for surface consolidation. Ethyl silicate was applied alone as a reference treatment. The mixtures tested in this research had not been previously explored, thus offering new opportunities to identify suitable solutions for the consolidation of earthen structures exposed to environmental conditions. In this study, adobe bricks were sampled from the archaeological site, and the effectiveness of each treatment was assessed based on changes in chromatic appearance, cohesion, and water behaviour. The results showed different behaviours of nanoproducts. Nano-silica, alone or especially in combination with ethyl silicate, is overall more effective than nano-lime for the consolidation of earthen materials, thanks to its greater compatibility with these materials. Full article

Cultural routes, an important concept in heritage conservation, represent an innovative paradigm that is reshaping the contemporary trajectory of cultural heritage research. The Nanling Corridor satisfies the four core criteria for cultural routes—temporal continuity, spatial distribution, cross-cultural attributes, and specific historical functional roles—and stands as a paradigmatic indigenous cultural route in China. Focusing on the Hunan–Guangdong Ancient Road—a core segment of the Nanling Corridor—this study integrates historical document analysis, representative sample field surveys, and a historical restoration method to systematically classify and characterize the ancient road’s landscape features. The study findings indicate that the Hunan–Guangdong border region within the Nanling area is endowed with a distinctive natural geographical setting and a complex socio-cultural context. Against this background, landscape elements are categorized into two primary clusters: those directly associated with the ancient road and those indirectly linked to it. The directly associated landscapes are further subdivided into four categories: the cross-territorial route, meso-scale hubs enabling land–water transfer, widely distributed micro-scale ancillary facilities, and intangible engineering techniques. The indirectly associated landscapes encompass four dimensions—military defense, population migration, commercial trade, and religious practice—each demonstrating unique landscape attributes while sharing homologous formative mechanisms. This study aims to provide a China-focused research reference for the international theory of cultural routes through the systematic study of the landscapes along the Hunan–Guangdong Ancient Road within the Nanling Corridor. Full article

With the rise in cultural tourism, visitors’ demand for historical and cultural experiences has grown, prompting historical architecture not only to focus on physical preservation but also to offer more intuitive, engaging, and interactive experiences. This study proposes a design method for real-space gamified interactive experiences through mobile applications in historical environments. Qinghui Garden, one of the Four Famous Lingnan Gardens, is used as a case study. A total of 54 visitors participated in an on-site field experiment, with data collected through pre- and post-experience questionnaires, behavioral tracking, and supplementary semi-structured interviews. Through a comparative experiment with three groups of visitors—free exploration, traditional guided tours, and real-space gamified interactive experiences—it was found that the gamified interactive method demonstrated superior clarity and reliability in its technology. Visitor cognitive performance and subjective satisfaction increased by approximately 62.5%, and the gamified interaction effectively guided the spatial flow and interaction behaviors with specific spaces. These findings provide new insights into the design of real-space gamified interactive experiences in historical spaces, contributing significantly to the preservation and cognition of cultural heritage. Full article

The short career of the Philadelphia-built transatlantic steamship S.S. Lewis (1851–1853) offers an instructive look at speculation, financing, and operating a steamer in the mid-19th century United States. S.S. Lewis was built as an American entry into the highly competitive arena of the transatlantic steam packet service. An early propeller steamer, it was heralded as an exemplar of American technology and shipbuilding prowess. It was also cleverly marketed, and named for Samuel Shaw (S.S.) Lewis, the Boston-based agent for Cunard. Following the failure of the transatlantic partnership that operated S.S. Lewis, the vessel entered the isthmian service from Nicaragua to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. It wrecked, without loss of life, in April 1853 north of the Golden Gate. The wreck site, known to pioneering wreck divers for decades, is now archaeologically described and assessed for the first time. The post-wreck saga of the site is an important part of the story of the evolution of maritime archaeology in California. Full article

Historic streets, as living heritage environments, preserve everyday cultural practices while facing increasing digital mediation in tourism and daily life. This study examines how a digital sense of place is constructed online in the Ming–Qing Old Street of Songyang, China. User-generated text and image data were collected primarily from Weibo, supplemented by user reviews from major travel platforms, including Dianping, Fliggy, Mafengwo, and Ctrip, and analysed through a multimodal framework. BERTopic was applied to identify thematic narratives in textual content, and ResNet-50 was used to classify visual scene elements in shared images, enabling an integrated interpretation of textual and visual representations. The results reveal four dominant dimensions of digital place perception: local food culture, living handicrafts, historic spatial fabric, and everyday atmosphere. Textual narratives emphasise emotional attachment and experiential interpretation, while visual representations highlight photogenic, performative, and shareable street scenes. The integration of these modalities forms a layered digital sense of place grounded in cultural continuity and daily life. The study demonstrates the value of multimodal social media analysis in understanding how living heritage streets are digitally represented and perceived, offering implications for sustainable heritage conservation, community-centred revitalisation, and data-informed cultural tourism management. Full article

This study proposes a four-dimensional Historical Building Defect Information Modeling (HBDIM) framework designed to support the documentation, diagnosis, and conservation of deteriorated historic stucco elements. The framework integrates multi-source digital documentation techniques, including terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), high-resolution photogrammetry, and automated total station measurements with laboratory-based material diagnostics to create a unified digital environment for defect detection and conservation assessment. The approach was applied to the Baron Empain Palace in Egypt as a representative case study of complex architectural heritage affected by material deterioration. Within the HBDIM workflow, point cloud processing and defect-oriented information modeling were used to identify and spatially localize deterioration features such as cracking, erosion, and material loss. Laboratory investigations—including computed tomography (CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF)—were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of calcium hydroxide nanoparticle consolidation treatments and to relate microstructural material behavior to spatially mapped defects within the digital model. Mechanical testing demonstrated a significant improvement in material performance, with treated stucco samples exhibiting an average compressive strength increase of approximately 69.06% compared to untreated specimens. The results demonstrate that integrating digital documentation, defect-oriented modeling, and material diagnostics within a four-dimensional framework provides a robust platform for linking geometric deterioration patterns with material-level conservation performance. By embedding diagnostic data and treatment outcomes within a temporally structured digital model, the HBDIM approach supports preventive conservation strategies, long-term monitoring, and data-driven decision-making in sustainable heritage management. Full article

Industrial heritage in resource-depleted mining towns faces the dual challenge of physical decay and social severance. To achieve sustainable urban revitalization, adaptive reuse strategies must align with local collective memory and emerging experiential consumption trends. Adopting a Scene Theory perspective, this study constructs a multi-level analytical framework using Meitanba Town (Hunan, China) and its power plant as a case study. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining semantic network analysis of 1582 online user comments with 61 offline questionnaires distributed to local residents to quantitatively diagnose current scene elements, functions, and features. The quantitative results reveal a significant imbalance: while “Functional Media” achieved the highest comprehensive score (10.0) due to strong historical recognition, “Diverse Groups” scored the lowest (3.4), indicating a lack of social inclusivity. Specifically, residents expressed the highest demand for sports facilities (31.2%) and cultural spaces (23.7%), identifying the main workshop (26.4%) and chimney as core carriers of industrial identity. Responding to these findings, the paper proposes three targeted strategies: (1) Activate: creating open-access recreation scenes to satisfy urgent sports demands; (2) Link: constructing immersive cultural scenes to narrate the “coal–electricity–life” history; and (3) Enhance: developing industry-powered commercial scenes to avoid homogenization. This study enriches the localized application of Scene Theory and provides a data-driven, context-adjustable analytical and strategic model that can inform the sustainable renewal of mining towns globally, with its specific implementation requiring adaptation to local social, economic, and cultural characteristics. Full article

This study uses Shenyang as a case to integrate multi-source dynamic data with spatial modeling. A comprehensive resistance surface was planned using 12 indicators across the natural, built, and socio-economic dimensions, with objective weighting via the CRITIC method. A hierarchical corridor network was generated based on the MCR model and circuit theory, validated by chi-square goodness-of-fit tests and network structural analysis. The results indicate that socio-economic factors, particularly path activity frequency, dominate the spatial patterns of the corridors, confirming that the network captures connectivity rooted in human activity rather than simply replicating transportation infrastructure. The distribution of national, provincial, and municipal heritage sites across the three higher-importance tiers (L1–L3) shows no significant deviation from the regional baseline, validating the network’s inherent de-hierarchization capacity. Network structure analysis further confirms that this equitable network simultaneously exhibits robust connectivity. The resultant network displays a distinct core–periphery structure with a monocentric-multinuclear radial pattern, forming a four-tier corridor system (core, primary, secondary, and local) that provides an actionable framework for graded protection and targeted interventions. This study advances cultural heritage conservation from passive isolation towards proactive systemic network governance, offering a transferable pathway for the sustainable preservation of heritage in high-density urban environments. Full article