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Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage

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A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2019) | Viewed by 52101

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Dr. Nicola Masini

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Guest Editor

CNR-IBAM, 85050 Baragiano Scalo, Italy
Interests: heritage science; remote sensing in archaeology; architectural conservation; archaeological science; humanities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Fernanda Prestileo

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Guest Editor

CNR-ISAC (National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate), Area della Ricerca di Tor Vergata, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: conservation of cultural heritage; preventive conservation; safeguarding of cultural heritage; non-destructive techniques for diagnostics on cultural heritage; microclimate monitoring
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Prof. Dr. Nick Schiavon

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Guest Editor

Hercules Laboratory for the Study and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, University of Evora, Largo dos Colegiais 2, 7000 Évora, Portugal
Interests: archaeometry; stone decay; metal corrosion; pottery; air pollution; conservation science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Heritage encourages the submission of contributions presented at the 6^th YOCOCU (Youth in Conservation and Cultural Heritage Conference "Dialogues in Cultural Heritage", held in Matera 22–26 May, 2018. The Conference was aimed at the interpretation, conservation and management of archaeological and architectural heritage, including risk assessment and monitoring. YOCOCU’s scientific community represents a forum where to exchange different methodological approaches and best practices for a sustainable preservation of Cultural Heritage all around the world.

The comparison and exchange of heritage science approaches and good practices for knowledge improvement, restoration and fruition of archaeological sites and of architectural heritage is a duty and an opportunity to foster a shared awareness of the importance to defend and manage our common heritage using an integrated approach, beyond national policies and cultural diversities, religions, conflicts.

Therefore, research articles addressing the following (not exhaustive) list of topics are welcomed:

Archaeological science
Archaeological heritage between conservation and management
Archaeological research and cultural landscape
Architectural restoration and conservation: approaches and case studies
Architecture and construction techniques history
Public archaeology
Remote sensing for archaeology and cultural heritage management
Cultural heritage risk assessment, monitoring and mitigation
Remote and in-situ sensing technologies for the conservation and interpretation of monuments

Dr. Nicola Masini
Dr. Fernanda Prestileo
Prof. Nick Schiavon
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 5928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Archeological Heritage in the Area of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome: Surveying and Reading Among Archetypes and Memories of the Past

by Gerardo Maria Cennamo

Heritage 2019, 2(2), 1499-1508; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2020094 - 26 May 2019

Viewed by 6637

Abstract

This paper, part of a larger project of the Faculty of Should it be 00186Engineering of the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO (PRIN2010PEA4H8, Research Plan of National Interest, co-financed by the Italian Ministry for University Research), aims to provide documentation on the historical and archeological relevance of the Jewish Ghetto area in Rome, which is a site with numerous extraordinary features and memory traces of the past. The methodology adopted was mainly based on surveying activity—urban, architectural, and archeological—as well as the subsequent comparison of data obtained, investigating, and cataloging this tangible historical heritage and its relations with the archaeological heritage using the instruments of representation and surveying. Additionally, a different approach aimed at identifying a link between the subjective narration of the historical city and its objective description through the integration of digital methods of the cataloging and management of cultural heritage is applied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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19 pages, 3433 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Usable and People-Friendly Cultural Heritage: MAGNA Project, on the Route from Greece to Magna Graecia

by Natalia Rovella, Fabio Bruno, Barbara Davidde Petriaggi, Theodoris Makris, Polyvios Raxis and Mauro Francesco La Russa

Heritage 2019, 2(2), 1350-1368; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2020086 - 7 May 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4182

Abstract

The Western civilization is deeply rooted in the Ancient Greece culture; political, scientific, technological and philosophic knowledge were born in this epoch. Their diffusion was improved upon by the Greek expansionist policy in colonies of Magna Graecia in Mediterranean Basin, leaving important archaeological traces for the community. In this context, the European project “MAGNA, on the route from Greece to Magna Graecia” seeks to develop a transnational thematic touristic route between Greece and the Ionian coast of Calabria (Southern Italy), an ancient Magna Graecia colony, on the basis of cultural and historical connections between these two Mediterranean areas. The project aims to promote the touristic development of the Greek and Calabrian archaeological sites through dissemination activities. These will concern scientific subjects regarding the conservation of cultural heritage, both in sub-aerial and underwater environments; and study of the sea floor, and pollution of seawater by microplastics. This touristic product consists of cruises on a ship equipped with scientific instruments that offer unique cultural experiences, accompanied by multimedia supports. Experts drive people in the proposed activities, creating more awareness of sustainable and responsible tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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13 pages, 6636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experience of Documentation for the Accessibility of Widespread Cultural Heritage

by Sandro Parrinello and Anna Dell’Amico

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 1032-1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010067 - 25 Mar 2019

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4536

Abstract

The will to preserve and enhance cultural heritage imposes reflections on databases as containers of information for the accessibility of dispersed heritage. The aim of the research is to validate methodological approaches in order to create 3D models and information systems. These tools improve accessibility to the artifact, according to different interconnection channels, in order to overcome the physical limit imposed by location. Tangible and intangible heritage take the form of a metadata network throughout a critical analysis and elaboration of data. These files create a complex database containing 3D models rich in information that describe cultural systems. The digital survey is the starting point for the development of languages, signs and symbols. It transfers complex objects into virtual systems, developing a multidimensional dialogue capable of integrating actions and meanings. The interactivity of complex databases facilitates the accessibility and disclosure of data to a wide audience. It requires the establishment of representation systems based on the development of virtual environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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9 pages, 2790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Survey for the Archaeological Analysis and the Enhancement of Gropina Archaeological Site

by Stefano Bertocci, Andrea Arrighetti and Matteo Bigongiari

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 848-857; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010056 - 13 Mar 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3902

Abstract

This paper concerns the path of knowledge that leads to the understanding of the morphology and evolution of the archaeological area discovered in the 1960s below the parish church of Gropina (AR). By dealing with archaeological surveying methods, the attention is focused on the digital survey technologies used, integrating data from laser scanner instruments with photogrammetric ones. The morphological base was necessary for the preparation of stratigraphic analyses, and allowed us to check the previous studies carried out on the building to extract a periodized planimetry. Finally, the digital drawing technologies have allowed us to hypothesize the schematic evolutionary models of the different phases of the building, and to use the digital survey to create a virtual platform through which to interact with the archaeological site, which is now closed to visitors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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13 pages, 7763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Italy and China Sharing Best Practices on the Sustainable Development of Small Underground Settlements

by Laura Genovese, Roberta Varriale, Loredana Luvidi and Fabio Fratini

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 813-825; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010053 - 8 Mar 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4789

Abstract

Both Southern Italy and Central China feature historic rural settlements characterized by underground constructions with residential and service functions. Many of these areas are currently tackling economic, social and environmental problems, resulting in unemployment, disengagement, depopulation, marginalization or loss of cultural and biological diversity. Both in Europe and in China, policies for rural development address three core areas of intervention: agricultural competitiveness, environmental protection and the promotion of rural amenities through strengthening and diversifying the economic base of rural communities. The challenge is to create innovative pathways for regeneration based on raising awareness to inspire local rural communities to develop alternative actions to reduce poverty while preserving the unique aspects of their local environment and culture. In this view, cultural heritage can be a catalyst for the sustainable growth of the rural community. Through a series of projects on a national and international scale, the authors have addressed some of these problems by exchanging best practices in conservation, sustainable use and the enhancement of the underground heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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35 pages, 12460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Provenance of Marbles and Alabasters Used in the Monuments of Hierapolis in Phrygia (Turkey): New Information from a Systematic Review and Integration of Archaeological and Archaeometric Data

by Giuseppe Scardozzi

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 519-552; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010035 - 6 Feb 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4213

Abstract

Determining the provenance of the stones used for ancient architectures is very important in order to reconstruct many social and economic questions linked to the life of a city. This paper integrates previous and new archaeometric data about marble and alabaster quarries in south-western Phrygia (Lykos valley), and offers a review of some results of the research activities carried out between the years 2013–2018 and aimed to reconstruct the building stone procurement strategies adopted in the city of Hierapolis in Phrygia across a broad chronological time span from the Hellenistic age to the Byzantine period. The research activities based on a multidisciplinary approach, integrating the archaeological and art-historian study of the monuments, the topographical investigation of the quarries, and the archaeometric characterisation both of extraction sites and marbles and alabasters used in the building sites of the urban area and in the necropolises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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12 pages, 8005 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landscape Analysis and Urban Description of Bethlehem Historical Center: A Methodological Approach for Digital Documentation

by Francesca Picchio and Raffaella De Marco

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 507-518; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010034 - 2 Feb 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4332

Abstract

Bethlehem’s territory and the architectural heritage present in its historical city center result from the stratification of different cultural activities, religions, and urban policies that have conditioned the actual image of the urban landscape. The city, apparently conformed as a single urban entity, is structured on multiple apparatuses of complexity, and the application of principles of decomposition and cataloging becomes a fundamental method for the analysis of the built system. To better understand the relationship between the original settlement and the historical quarters of the city, and to define a tool for their conservation and development, the present research project, developed since 2018 in synergy with administrations and local authorities, and scientifically coordinated by the University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, seeks to promote a documentation protocol that, starting from a report analysis on landscape and urban context, methodologically defines the development of an integrated digital database, constituted by multiple informative layers, to ensure better management of the city. This contribution illustrates the first step of the survey activities, which represent a preparatory phase for the organization of the digital acquisition campaign, to highlight the structure of current urban development, the divisions in neighborhoods, and the understanding of architectural values, to give guidelines for the enhancement of historical and traditional values of architectural heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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23 pages, 15404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Origin and Circulation of Calcarenite Artifacts in the Area of Montescaglioso between 6th and 3rd Century BC: An Interdisciplinary Approach

by Dimitris Roubis and Claudia Sciuto

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 467-489; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010032 - 31 Jan 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3335

Abstract

The study of stone artifacts and their provenance is an important proxy for understanding the entangled relationship between humans and geological resources. In this paper, we explore the potentialities of an interdisciplinary approach combining in situ documentation of tool marks and characterization of stone types using a near infrared (NIR) portable probe. We argue that this protocol is useful for collecting screening data on objects that cannot be moved or sampled. NIR spectra describe textural and molecular features of the materials and can be used to achieve a preliminary characterization of raw materials. We present a case study from the territory of Montescaglioso (Basilicata, near Matera, Italy), where we combined the analysis of a calcarenite (limestone) quarry, in Masseria D’Alessio, which was exploited since the 6th century BC, as well as artifacts of the same chronology from surveys and excavations in the surroundings. The aim was to collect preliminary data about the distribution of the particular calcarenite extracted from the quarry and identify exploitation and trade patterns. The data were processed using multivariate statistics to highlight the relevant spectral information and perform supervised classification of spectral features. Documentation of tool marks and the process of stone working were combined with the spectral signature of the artifacts to link the stone types to the description of their extraction/carving methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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17 pages, 8700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Railroad Buildings of Eskişehir: Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Heritage

by Betül Ekimci, Feray Ergincan and Mehmet İnceoğlu

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 435-451; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010030 - 30 Jan 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3993

Abstract

While railways are considered as a sign of development for countries, the railway structures are part of the industrial heritage of cities and comprise some of the most important urban public places. In Turkey, the Eskişehir railway buildings, constructed between 1886 and 1894, are at the west of the main railroad between the Enveriye and Eskişehir stations. They are also public places having strong resonance in the collective memory. Because of the fast development in technology, they face the threat of losing their function. Conservation of former industrial structures requires, first and foremost, identifying and documenting the distinctive features that makes them cultural heritage sites. It is a shared responsibility between public institutions and sectors to identify and protect the distinguishing features of industrial heritage sites. With this awareness, at the Anadolu University Architecture Department, integrated student work focused on the Railroad Roundhouse—built in 1896—and Staff Housing Quarters—built in the early 20th century—which are part of this district and embody a series of urban problems, was carried out over four academic semesters. This study focuses on historic railway buildings in the Eskişehir railway district that is known for its urban problems. An exhibition combining these student works was opened at the Railcar Repair Facility on 16 November 2017. This exhibition showcased the student involvement in history of Eskişehir and increased public awareness of cultural heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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10 pages, 5787 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Matera in Many Dimensions

by Sandra Lucente

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 380-389; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010026 - 27 Jan 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3237

Abstract

In this paper, the city of Matera is described from a mathematical point of view. Previous papers on this subject have concentrated on seeing Matera as a fractal city. Here, this analysis is also dealt with as an extension of Euclidean dimensions. The idea is to create a double presentation narrative which is useful for the promotion of cultural heritage and also for the popularizing of mathematics. Those who like geometrical vision will discover some aspects of one of the most ancient cities in Italy. Those who like travelling will have new words to describe the wonders of this country. We reach this objective by using a combinatoric puzzle and suitable story telling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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14 pages, 315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use and Protection of Archaeological Sites in Greece: Policies and Practices 1975–2018

by Katerina Hartzoulaki

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 366-379; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010025 - 26 Jan 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3911

Abstract

The use of archaeological sites in Greece today is a controversial subject, often stirring public discussion and dispute. This paper, which presents some results of the author’s PhD research, focuses on the use of archaeological sites for artistic and creative purposes. More specifically, it examines the use of ancient theaters and the use of archaeological sites for filming through the study of the relevant legislation, the policies and practices adopted by the Greek state administration, as well as relevant examples. Furthermore, it aims to identify shifts in ideological perceptions and policies, which have possibly taken place within the time scope of the research, covering the period from 1975 to 2018. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

9 pages, 2454 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dissemination Strategies for Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Tomb of Zechariah in Jerusalem, Israel

by Monica Bercigli

Heritage 2019, 2(1), 306-314; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010020 - 23 Jan 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3653

Abstract

This paper reports the research carried out using Structure from Motion survey techniques, which were developed on the basis of previous surveys and their subsequent representation through two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) drawings of the tomb, comparing them with drawings and watercolors by several painters of the past. This survey technique enables the reconstruction of three-dimensional models through photographs. The aim of this work is to define a procedural process which allows accurate and reliable three-dimensional reconstructions to be performed for the acquisition of knowledge and the dissemination of cultural heritage, taking advantage of representation and visualization techniques that have been developed in the last decade and that are based on historical references. The variety of digital products which can be produced (video games, 3D models, prints, websites, and augmented reality applications) allows a different approach to the representation to be taken, thereby re-evaluating limits, aims, and expressive potential. The virtual representative systems, enriched with cultural content, scientific information, and data, enhance the participation and awareness of knowledge of the final users of the products and are able to increase the interaction between the user and the information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing and Discussion of Experiences and Approaches to Interpretation, Conservation and Management of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage)

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