Cultural Heritage Studies Research Articles

Postsocialist Statuary Politics in Romania and Bulgaria: An Ambivalent Socialist Heritage

AbstractUsing an approach situated at the intersection of cultural memory studies and (critical) heritage studies, with a focus on the ambivalent socialist heritage of socialist statues and monuments and their changing role in postsocialist public spaces, this article engages with the postcommunist strategies of reckoning with the past in Romania and Bulgaria in the period 1990–2020. Comparing the kinds of monumental memory of communism that were established in these countries, the author discusses how each dealt with their ambivalent socialist heritage through a public memory policy comprising three combined strategies: removal; preservation; and the replacement of communist heroes with anticommunist counter-monuments. The author concludes that stances toward the socialist heritage manifest various tensions in terms of the types of statues that were removed or, alternately, allowed to remain; of the opposition between local and national decisions as well as between the official approach and citizens’ perspectives; and, finally, of aesthetic versus political criteria.

MULTI-SCALE AND MULTI-SENSOR APPROACHES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL NATURAL HERITAGE: THE ISLAND OF SANTO SPIRITO IN VENICE

Abstract. The study of Cultural Natural Heritage (CNH) requires the development of multi-disciplinary and multi-scale methodologies for data recording, representation, and correlation from various platforms such as terrestrial, aerial and satellite sensors. The heterogeneity of geo-databases currently available demands on-site validation and time monitoring to control the phenomena related to climate change that inevitably affect the Cultural Heritage (CH). The pressures stressing the territorial dimension due to climatic changes lead to the decrease of essential resources and burden on the CH. To overcome the lack of information needed at various territorial scales, it becomes necessary to construct detailed and dynamic cognitive frameworks. This paper establishes a multitemporal information framework regarding the case study area, the Island of Santo Spirito in Venice, using several geomatic techniques to investigate the island's ecological significance and constructed heritage. The suggested methodology uses the integration of multitemporal data resulting from the processing of satellite images provided by the Copernicus satellites (Sentinel-2) and data from geomatic documentation techniques. Two separate methods were used in the survey operations: a Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and aerial photogrammetry from Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) survey. The integration of satellite, aerial, and terrestrial data has allowed a complete knowledge of the necessary parameters for the monitoring of the CH of the area. In order to manage conservative policy from a preventive perspective and to recreate and digitally visualize missing historical phases, programmed monitoring is a crucial instrument.

A human-centred systems manifesto for smart digital immersion in Industry 5.0: a case study of cultural heritage

A human-centred systems manifesto for smart digital immersion in Industry 5.0: a case study of cultural heritage

A multimodal scanner coupling XRF, UV–Vis–NIR photoluminescence and Vis–NIR–SWIR reflectance imaging spectroscopy for cultural heritage studies

AbstractScanning x‐ray fluorescence (MA‐XRF), Reflectance Imaging Spectroscopy (RIS) and Luminescence Imaging Spectroscopy (LIS) are scientific methods extensively used in the investigation of artworks in Cultural Heritage Science. Nevertheless, these three highly complementary imaging methods have never been implemented in a single instrument. In this paper, we present a scanning system that is the first to simultaneously combine MA‐XRF, RIS, and LIS techniques, generating spatially aligned hyperspectral datasets. The specifications of the instrument and of the collected datacubes are described, together with the processing pipeline developed for the coupled exploitation and interpretation. The operation of this instrument, combining XRF with RIS and LIS mapping in an extended range (400–2500 nm and 200–1000 nm, respectively), is exemplified on an anonymous test painting, studied previously. A focus on a restored area of this painting allows to illustrates the complementarity of the three aforementioned methods, for the visualization and characterization of pigments, varnish, and binders.

3D geometric survey of cultural heritage by UAV in inaccessible coastal or shallow aquatic environments

AbstractCultural heritage in coastal or shallow aquatic environments is often located in areas where access is difficult or where accurate survey and documentation may not always be possible with terrestrial or aquatic equipment. The combination of photogrammetry and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) generates a range of possibilities across multiple sectors, including history, ethnography and cultural heritage studies. Additionally, these methods can be used to prospect new archaeological sites. This article presents three case studies that use UAV techniques and Structure from Motion and Multiview Stereo (SfM‐MVS) photogrammetry to conduct topographic and geometric registrations of archaeological, historical and ethnographic sites (some of which are classified as cultural heritage sites). These examples are located in coastal or shallow aquatic environments that are difficult to survey with traditional methods. The results show that it is possible to carry out detailed geometric registration and heritage prospection over large coastal or shallow aquatic environments using a low‐cost UAV. Furthermore, the results of this work show great advantages in terms of cost and quality, even in cases where the seabed is below a shallow water column. Other particularities of SfM‐MVS application in aquatic environments are discussed. From an interdisciplinary perspective, this methodology will offer new possibilities for the study, restoration and conservation of archaeological, historical and ethnographic monuments.

Cultural heritage in early childhood education: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This study aims to reveal the status of cultural heritage in early childhood education and its content through a systematic literature review. A search of major databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) was performed to identify related articles. Eighteen articles were identified and analysed, considering their topics, countries, methods, techniques, pedagogical practices, and suggestions. The articles highlighted the types or dimensions of cultural heritage commonly developed in preschools and the relevant pedagogical practices in the early childhood context. Though not many studies were found, the topics, countries, methods, techniques, pedagogical practices, and suggestions of cultural heritage studies in early childhood vary. Furthermore, a research agenda was provided for future studies on the subject.

Climate-responsive opportunities and challenges in urban vernacular heritage.

In response to today’s contemporary challenge regarding how to tackle the effects of climate change in heritage environments, natural ventilation arises as a compatible, low-cost and environmentally friendly passive cooling strategy for the Mediterranean climate. However, an identified research gap concerns the lack of studies addressing data from both the urban and building scales. An innovative, multi-scale approach is introduced in this research, through the study of airflow on the neighbourhood, street canyon and building scales, which is then evaluated using field measurements. The effect of urban density and street-canyon geometry on indoor thermal comfort is discussed in the case of adobe buildings with pass-through spaces (portico), and timber projections with multiple openings (sahnisi). The originality of the presented research lies in the adopted multi-scale methodology. On the district level of study, analytical tools and urban-scale considerations in the development of vernacular buildings are discussed through the lens of environmental performance. Building ventilation is addressed as a function of in-street and rooftop airflow, demonstrating the airflow gradient across the scales under study. Furthermore, the impact of various window operation patterns is quantified, given the variability of the background wind and street geometry. The results indicate best practices for enhancing the cooling effect of natural ventilation, highlighting the role of occupant behaviour and night-time ventilation. Finally, key directions regarding conservation practices in urban contexts are discussed, bringing energy performance and comfort into cultural heritage studies.

The learning potential of streaming media: cultural sustainability in a post-digital society

The aim of this article is to contribute to a discussion on the challenges of and opportunities for using major streaming media platforms and fictional streaming series in an educational context. The article departs from research on the post-digital condition, platformization, cultural memory, and cultural sustainability. The tangible interest in cultural memory and heritage studies indicates the current need to include streaming services in these research fields, as the platforms for streaming media are vectors of popular culture and heritage in terms of digital archives. With the help of Astrid Erll's analytical model, the authors argue that perspectives from cultural memory studies are useful for deepening the learning potential of fictional series on streaming platforms. The article also supports the idea that major streaming services can be used in education as a supplement to other cultural resources if the potential sustainability risks are considered.

Intersection of Heritage, Water, and the Work of the ICOMOS Sustainable Development Goals Working Group

The Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG) of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) advocates for heritage by publishing reports, attending conferences and engaging in networking. The SDGWG is particularly interested in how water, heritage and sustainable development intersect. Various aspects of this intersection are demonstrated by three case studies of underwater cultural heritage: a study of submarine cables and pipelines, the traditional floating garden system of chinampas in Mexico City, and the indigenous water tanks of kulams and gender-associated stepwells in India. This paper examines the current state of protection and advocacy, while also discussing the challenges faced by water heritage. While significant challenges remain, the SDGWG is developing solutions to ongoing and sometimes overlooked problems.

CREATIVITY OF AKYT ULIMZHIULY AND LITERARY AND FOLKLORE INTEGRATION

One of the urgent problems of modern Kazakh literature is the analysis of the world of fiction, outside of its historical homeland, the analysis of development trends, the study of prospects, the assessment of the present, the identification of its main representatives. If we talk about the fact that national literature has deep historical roots, then it can be argued that Kazakh literature, which in each country and in different places is distinguished by its local and regional characteristics, is its fruitful, multifaceted Golden Branch. Therefore, the timely study of the rich cultural and literary heritage of near and far abroad is due to national necessity. Akyt Ulimzhiuly is a man who published several books in Kazakh history during his life. He is a great poet and educator at the level of Abai, Shakarim. Of no small importance is the contribution and significance of the works of Akyt Ulimzhiuly to the popularization of traditions, literature, culture, religion, history, philosophy, psychology of the Kazakh people at the end of the 19th-first quarter of the 20th century. Due to the historical reasons of that period, the poet lived alternately in the rich regional region of China and Mongolia. His works reflect the life, religion, state, being, customs, worldview of the Kazakh people who inhabited these two regions. It was in this direction that we studied the life path of the poet-scientist, teacher-educator, public and religious figure, one of the founders of written literature Akyt Ulimzhiuly, who follows the main Kazakh poet Abay. We would like to analyze his rich literary heritage, his national position and reveal the folklore side of Akyt's works. In particular, this article will be devoted to the problem of the poetics of folklore and works by A. Ulimzhiuly. Folklorism, consideration of the patterns of folklore integrity, differentiation of manifestations of folklore motifs underlie the goals and objectives of the study.

To whom does the water flow? A new aqueduct branch of Ayn Braq in Petra, Jordan

For any city to flourish it must be able to provide sufficient water for the daily needs of the population, as well as, in addition to water for religious needs, water for aesthetic needs, such as fountains, gardens and baths. Nabataeans were specifically keen to showcase their ingenuity and wealth, as they were situated in a dry and arid area. For this, an extensive network of channels, pipes and aqueducts were built to draw water from the numerous springs situated in the karst of the ash-Sharah Mountains. Most aqueducts in Petra have been studied extensively. However, within the framework of the Restoration of the Ancient Nabatean Flood Control System in Wadi Madras at Petra project, which was conducted by the Centre for the Study of Natural and Cultural Heritage at the German Jordanian University, 2017–2021, the author discovered a new branch related to the Ayn Braq aqueduct. This branch might indicate an initial and early plan to draw the water towards the city through the north water flow channels in the Siq. The study of this branch revealed significant investment in the landscape with regard to both preparation prior to the aqueduct’s construction and its protection from natural hazards. In addition, a new naṣṣib and a betyl niche were discovered in direct association with the aqueduct.

Design Archives: Sustainable Solutions for Young Designers in Valencia, Spain

Design education is practical and theoretical; however, it does not usually include the study of cultural heritage. Nonetheless, relations with academia have been strong since the 18th century, when the need to educate designers spread across the continent to improve design and make it competitive in the market. In this paper, we recover that spirit and act as mediators between heritage and young people to create links and preserve cultural heritage. A case study was conducted at the Public Valencian Design School with 31 product design students. The methodology applied was based on iterative processes that allowed students to discover design and silk heritage when they proposed innovative ways of approaching it. A qualitative survey was used to evaluate the case study. The results showed that students increased their appreciation for cultural heritage (by more than 90%) as well as their willingness to preserve it and reuse it in their future creations. Collaboration between cultural heritage and design might foster sustainable conservation and mark the future steps of ongoing collaboration.

External Beam IBA Measurements for Cultural Heritage

Ion beam analysis (IBA) methods refer to a set of analytical techniques based on the interactions of energetic ions, produced by a particle accelerator, with matter. The result of such interactions is the emission of characteristic radiation, X and gamma rays, and charged particles, which, upon detection, provide valuable information on the absolute concentration and depth distribution of the elements in the bombarded material. Moreover, IBA techniques can be performed while maintaining the object to be investigated at atmospheric pressure, without placing it in vacuum, in an analysis chamber, with the impinging ion beam extracted from the in-vacuum beamline of the accelerator, avoiding the need of invasive sampling and greatly easing the object positioning, thus allowing precious and big or large artefacts to be studied. This feature has opened the way for applications of IBA techniques for compositional analysis in cultural heritage studies, providing detailed and complete information about elemental compositions and depth distributions of analysed materials that are otherwise difficult or impossible for other analytical techniques. In this paper, the basic principles of the main IBA techniques applied to cultural heritage, namely, particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), particle induced Gamma-ray emission (PIGE), and Rutherford or elastic backscattering spectrometry (RBS/EBS), will be recalled, and specific and practical details on how these techniques can be used for analysing cultural heritage objects with external beam set-ups will be provided.

Exploring the Significance and Interpretation of Animal Motifs in Rock Art: A Systematic Review

Rock art has been a subject of fascination for scholars, archaeologists, and enthusiasts for centuries due to its unique aesthetic qualities and cultural significance. This systematic review paper provides an overview of the significance of rock art motifs and their interpretations. Through a comprehensive analysis of the literature, we identified common rock art motifs and themes, as well as various interpretative approaches and theoretical frameworks used to understand the meanings and contexts of these motifs. The review also explores variations in interpretations across time and space and discusses the implications of these findings for rock art studies. The results reveal that rock art motifs and their interpretations are shaped by diverse cultural, social, and historical contexts, and that interdisciplinary and community-engaged research is needed to better understand, preserve, and appreciate this unique cultural heritage. The limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed. This review contributes to our understanding of the cultural, symbolic, and aesthetic significance of rock art and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary perspectives and engagement with local communities in the study and conservation of rock art sites and cultural heritage.

System Architecture Design of a Multimedia Platform to Increase Awareness of Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Sustainable Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage (CH) plays a vital role in passing history to the present and also the future, which means it is important to build an efficient and friendly way to broadcast and inherit these past civilizations. Information communication technology (ICT) is one of the popular methods that can attract people’s attention on understanding history or joining in heritage preservation. To achieve that, governments have built a large numbers of official ICT platforms. However, most of them neglected people’s preferences on the retrieval of cultural heritage information. In terms of user experiences, the previous platforms are less than satisfactory in increasing the awareness of the cultural heritage. Thanks to the new technology, 3D models and virtual reality (VR) bring spring life to cultural heritage. This paper developed a new multimedia platform based on people’s preferences to overcome these disadvantages. UML-based web engineering (UWE) is applied to present the web application’s architecture, the database structure, and the platform’s interface. To demonstrate the multimedia platform, Strijp-S, an industry cultural heritage site in the city of Eindhoven (the Netherlands), has been used as a case area. This proposed platform provides a new idea on system architecture design of the multimedia platform and may strengthen the public’s knowledge of cultural heritage, and thereby increase the awareness of cultural heritage to keep it sustainable.

Comparison of Spatial Weight Matrices in Spatial Autoregressive Model: Case Study of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Indonesia

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) can effectively contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all economic, social, and environmental dimensions, along with peace and security. Studying ICH in Indonesia cannot be separated from the spatial aspect of how an area's attributes are related to other areas located close to each other. Spatial regression modeling needs to be done by considering the selection of spatial weight matrix. Using the wrong spatial weight matrix will increase the standard error in parameter estimation. Therefore, this study aims to determine: the best spatial weight matrix to accommodate the spatial autocorrelation in analyzing the description of the spread of ICH in Indonesia; and the variables that are thought to influence the number of ICH determination in Indonesia. The spatial regression modeling used in this study is the Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model and the spatial weight matrices compared in this study are queen contiguity and inverse distance. The best model is the SAR model used the queen contiguity spatial weight matrix because it has minimum values of AIC, BIC, RMSE and MAPE which are 310.397, 319.555, 18.857 and 57.169 respectively. Simultaneously, involved in performing arts, wearing traditional dress, knowing Indonesian folklore and the spatial lag contribute significantly to number of ICH determination in Indonesia. Partially, only knowing Indonesian folklore have a significant effect on number of ICH determination in Indonesia at significance level α=5%. Each additional 1% of population that knowing Indonesian folklore in an area increases number of ICH determination in that area by 0.6719 units .

Documentation of the Bulgar-Tatar Tombstones by Modern Methods

Bulgaro-Tatar epigraphic monuments of the 13th–17th centuries with graceful calligraphic Arabic writing and peculiar floral ornamentation are unique evidence of history of the Tatars. Epitaphs are not only the last tribute to a dead person, first of all they served and serve living people, referring to their memory, feelings and attitude of a person towards their ancestors, their past. Documenting these monuments is important process of preserving the heritage for posterity. Many monuments studied in the middle of the 20th century were not physically preserved or the inscriptions were completely destroyed. The question of preservation and protection of this type of cultural heritage is so acute. The study of epitaphs at the modern methodological level involves virtual museumification, 3D-modeling, cataloging, deciphering and reading, as well as assessing the risks of their destruction using modern, relevant approaches to study of historical and cultural heritage. In this study, surveys of epigraphic monuments were carried out for the first time at modern level. By high-precision photogrammetric surveys and 3D-modeling, it was possible to obtain digital copies of objects, which makes it possible to determine changes in shape, restore the shape of lost objects using archival data. To organizing convenient access to spatial information for many users, the results of research are presented on a thematic web resource and a geoportal. The main functionality of such web GIS, in addition to directly displaying interactive spatial information, is the ability to make user queries, measure objects and provide access to related multimedia materials.

How Racism Leads to Epistemicide or Murder of Knowledge? A Case Study of Tangible and Cultural Heritage of the Nile Valley in Sudan

In this paper, we introduce epistemicide as an emerging theoretical framework for critical library and information studies alongside the well-known ones extensively covered in the literature of our field. Definitions of epistemicide and an aggregate of related concepts drawn from recent research are reviewed and examined through the lens of the ethics of information and knowl­edge organization (KO). A detailed historical background about Nubia and Kushite kingdoms along the river Nile is chosen as a case study. It focuses on the early conditions that led to racism, marginalization, and discrimination of the civilization of the Nile Valley in Sudan and its tangible cultural heritage. Facts are drawn from a vast literature review, documentary films, checked in knowl­edge organization systems (KOS, indexing languages and classifications) and museums. The paper concludes with an appeal to information scholars and professionals to address epistemicide as an ethical and crucial issue for information professionals responsible for the credibility and accuracy of the information they handle in every field of knowl­edge.

RIS3D: A Referenced Information System in 3D

3D Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Building Information Modeling (BIM),… These words are increasingly used for Cultural Heritage studies to refer to the necessity to connect heterogeneous data with a 3D model. In this article, we introduce and formalize the notion of RIS3D (Referenced Information System in 3D), which extends the concept of GIS to 3D supports and generalizes it. For this purpose, we propose a generic and modular client-server approach that brings the required flexibility, extendibility, and sustainability to deal with heterogeneous data. For queries and their visualization in a 3D environment, we push forward the notions of layers and markers. We also provide the readers with our technical choices that allowed us to develop our own implementation of a RIS3D solution. We demonstrate it on a real-case scenario: the preservation of the Lascaux painted cave where our solution has been deployed and is in use. The proposed notion and generic architecture of RIS3D, its implementation, and its deployment show the suitability of such an approach and its potential applications.

朝鲜朝“汉语质正官”崔世珍及其成就

During the Korean Dynasty (1391-1910), the “quality officials” played an important role in the spread of Chinese to the Korean peninsula, and played an important role in the history of Sino Korean language and cultural exchanges. Cui Shizhen went to China for many times as a “quality official” to “improve Chinese”. As an important practitioner of “improve Chinese” activities, Cui Shizhen has played a positive role in promoting Chinese teaching and research in North Korea, and has a far-reaching impact. The research on Cui Shizhen's achievements in Sinology from the perspective of “quality and integrity” is of great value to the research on the history of Chinese phonology in East Asia and the comparative linguistics of East Asian history from the perspective of sinology abroad. The ancient rhyme script on the Korean Peninsula is included as an important part of the study of the history of Chinese rhyme script, which provides a new basis for promoting the collation and study of the ancient rhyme script on the Korean Peninsula in China, as well as the study of the history of regional language relations in Northeast Asia from the perspective of “regional countries”, the study of the history of the spread of Chinese culture outside the region, and the study of intangible cultural heritage between China and the Korean Peninsula. Cui Shizhen also presented Chinese books to the King of Korea in the above “True Records”. This shows that if the “quality official” is taken as a breakthrough, it will find a new support for the study of the origin and development of the Sino Korean (Korean) language and culture. The ancient rhyme script on the Korean Peninsula is an important part of the study of the history of rhyme script on China and the Korean Peninsula. It carries the excellent traditional culture of China and the Korean Peninsula, and reflects the diachronic evolution of language, literature, culture, ideology, education and other fields. “Quality officials” play an important role in the communication and acceptance of the above fields.