Heritage Information Research Articles

Ontology and Software Tools for the Formalization of the Visualisation of Cultural Heritage Knowledge Graphs

Over the last decade, several projects have been developed to digitise and semanticise cultural heritage data. They have been developed to preserve and maintain this heritage, but also to make it accessible to all types of users and to other sectors such as tourism and education. These developments combine the use of knowledge graphs and interactive visualisation tools with web technologies. Although remarkably interesting projects have been developed, the data visualisation tools in these projects tend to focus on the project context. Consequently, it is difficult to reuse the results of these projects. In addition, there are characteristics of cultural heritage information, such as uncertainty and spatial and temporal granularity, that have not been considered, and how to deal with them has not been described. The same is true for other aspects, such as the relationships between different objects. Considering these problems, this study presents a model that formalises how to visualise this information. The design of an ontology that implements this model, based on other works such as VUMO or VISO, is described. Furthermore, the design and development of a software framework that allows the visualisation of this information through a web application are presented. The evaluation of the application of this framework in projects such as SILKNOW or Arxiu Valencià del Disseny is outlined.

Semi-automatic classification of digital heritage on the Aïoli open source 2D/3D annotation platform via machine learning and deep learning

Today, digital tools represent a privileged means of describing and understanding of cultural heritage. However, existing hybrid methods for semantic annotation on digital models are mostly manual and require considerable human intervention. This may cause data dispersion or data alteration issues, preventing the digital collection of multidisciplinary heritage information in collaborative valorization and conservation projects. Tackling this problem, this work presents three different methods for more automated 2D/3D data annotation, making the most of Machine Learning or Deep Learning and of the collaborative, web-based annotation platform Aïoli. The proposed approaches are designed to assist heritage experts in the hybrid annotation of architectural objects, e.g., to identify building components, degradation patterns, mapping of alterations, materials etc. and to share and access 2D/3D information via the web. The work aims at providing public and private stakeholders in charge of restoration and conservation activities with a set of more automated annotation tools, allowing to: i) preserve data in the transition to different representation types; ii) propagate analytically relevant information via digital models and/or images; iii) share heritage-related data on the web with an open source strategy. The validated workflows sketch the outlines of a dedicated and user-friendly toolbar for semi-automatic annotation, directly integrated into the Aïoli user interface, where automated annotation tools are readily available to the community of heritage professionals to properly support documentation and restoration activities.

Optimizing Local History Learning with The Saloka Application

This study develops an android-based augmented reality catalog model application. The catalog form was chosen because of the large amount of cultural heritage information that is important to research and document through the application. The results of this cultural heritage research will be packaged in an interactive application that is expected to help history teachers in teaching the history of Lamongan in an interesting way. The virtual catalog application is designed to be a pioneer of historical and cultural information for the Lamongan community and its surroundings. Plus the COVID-19 outbreak that is still hitting Indonesia, this application offers free and safe roaming of virtual cultural heritage. This research method includes the historical method to examine all cultural heritage as teaching materials and the ADDIE-based development method to develop the SALOKA application. The targets of this research are students, teachers, academics, and the community in Lamongan. In particular, this application is expected to help history teachers to teach local cultural/historical heritage to students in Lamongan so that learning is more interesting.
 Keywords: virtual catalog, learning history, lamongan, heritage

Indonesian Muslim Diaspora: Strengthening Cognitive Aspects and Competencies Regarding Islamic Heritage in Southeast Asia

This study examined the cognitive aspects and competencies of the Indonesian Muslim diaspora in Southeast Asia through a community empowerment program to preserve Islamic heritage. Muslim communities in Southeast Asia have a historical relationship in the process of da'wah, Islamic culture, and the transmission of knowledge. Historical heritage in the form of mosques, tombs, kingdoms, and religious ceremonies is a potential for halal tourism and a challenge for the cultural conservation process. In this regard, the Indonesian Muslim diaspora plays a significant role in efforts to maintain Islamic heritage in Southeast Asia due to their shared culture, traditions, and language. Enhancing the diaspora's cognitive aspects and competencies was a priority for assistance. Therefore, various activities were implemented to improve their ability to document relevant information about Islamic heritage. This endeavor employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology to support the Indonesian diaspora residing in Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei Darussalam. The mentoring program included Focused Group Discussions about Islamic heritage and assistance in improving skills related to data collection and writing about Islamic heritage and Arabic Pegon writing. Following the mentoring activities, notable improvements were observed in the cognitive aspects of the assisted subjects concerning historical mosques and Islamic kingdoms (13.3%), Islamic museums (21.43%), Islamic traditions (35.71%), and Islamic arts (42%), tombs (38.46%), and haul ceremonies (84%). Additionally, there was increased competency in searching and writing Islamic heritage information (13.3%) and Arabic Pegon writing (28.57%) after the mentoring. To ensure program sustainability, the diaspora actively disseminates service outcomes through online directories. Furthermore, ongoing collaboration is fostered through community-based cultural initiatives, which contribute to preserving Islamic history.

Barriers Faced by Youth in Seeking Cultural Heritage Information

Knowing barriers to information seeking is imperative as it regulates the degree to which individuals can access different sources. The aim of this study is to examine the barriers faced while seeking cultural heritage information. A survey-based questionnaire was used to collect data from the state of Manipur, India. The study employs stratified random sampling techniques and a sample of 400 respondents participated in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Before analyzing the data validity and reliability test was carried out. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. An independent samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was administered to determine significant difference between demographic variables and study variables. The mean analysis revealed, “information is not readily available” with a mean score=3.59 is the most vital barriers. 12 studied variables were subjected to factor analysis and generated three factors, i.e. independent, administrative and management barriers. Statistical analysis revealed that gender difference plays a significant role in dissimilarity in seeking CHI with an individual barrier; with p=0.050, female respondents have a higher difference with a mean score = 3.4289.

Digital Documentation and Conservation of Architectural Heritage Information: An Application in Modern Chinese Architecture

With the rapid advancement of technology, accurate and reliable architectural heritage information is increasingly in demand in the fields of cultural heritage and architectural conservation. This study aimed to establish a positive and harmonious relationship between architectural heritage and urban renewal in China’s sustainable urbanization process by documenting and conserving Chinese architectural heritage information. This work focuses on integrating architectural heritage information into multilevel and multi-dimensional information using scientific and standardized classification methods for documenting and conserving Chinese architectural heritage. The former site of the provisional Senate of the Nanjing National Government was studied and documented for this purpose. A precise 3D modeling for the components of architectural heritage and building information modeling (BIM) technology based on the two-dimensional (2D) drawings and component information were studied, analyzed, and used for restoration. Finally, a component “family” library was created using the common components of existing historical buildings. The results showed that the proposed method could provide both 3D and 2D drawings directly in the digital protection of historical buildings to monitor, repair, and protect architectural heritage, particularly historical buildings, throughout their life cycle. Overall, this work highlights the importance of protecting architectural heritage in sustainable urbanization and proposes an effective method for achieving this goal.

The Cultural Heritage Industry’s New Standard for Educational Information Access

This article provides an overview of best-practices for the cultural heritage sector to share educational information with patrons and those seeking information from the commemoration of historical events. Worldwide, cultural heritage institutions seek to promote their collections and services using various formats. However, several issues have impeded the optimal results of such best practices commemoration endeavours. These include global lockdowns and travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper is based on an exploratory study utilising quantitative data on the popularity of online connectivity for information sharing and data mining from cultural heritage institutions and services. A self-administered survey was used to investigate whether such online practices may be used to fulfil knowledge and information gaps caused by global disasters that lead to national lockdowns. Subsequently, the public has been encouraged to interact through non-contact means for improving the public’s knowledge of current and future cultural heritage information. Using a systematic sampling method, dichotomous questions were sent to respondents randomly chosen from chronological museum mailing lists. Through a systematic sample of 100 museum visitors, the results analysed were generalised to encompass archive visitors. The results were analysed using corelated statistical data analysis to assess if using online connectivity to seek information was a feasible process and exceeded the expectations of information seekers’ needs. This study found that online services and internet connectedness are the best viable approaches to acquire information and knowledge from archives and museum collections. Therefore, cultural heritage institutions’ curators must refine their online services to serve a worldwide clientele that constantly seeks information about educational archives, museum collections and significant historical events.

Web accessibility of Indian cultural heritage information: an analytical study of museum websites

PurposeThis paper compares the web accessibility of Indian museum websites assessing the level of compliance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). The study aims to assess the accessibility of Indian museum websites in terms of their severity.Design/methodology/approachThe accessibility evaluation of 11 Indian museum websites was conducted using Siteimprove Accessibility Checker (SAC), an automated website testing tool.FindingsThe study results indicate that the mean conformance score for the Indian museum websites for level A was 19.27, while for level AA and AAA, it came out to be 2.63 and 4.09, respectively, with the highest severity scores for error (16.3) followed by review (5.81) criteria and warning (3.81). The major findings indicate that the websites of Indian museums poorly conform to web accessibility guidelines.Practical implicationsThe study's findings will assist the museum's website creators, managers and administrators in determining the level of conformity as per standard accessibility guidelines helping them make strategic decisions to improve the accessibility.Originality/valueMost of the studies available in the field of website accessibility range from the web accessibility of educational institutions, tourism websites, municipal websites and ministerial websites, but there are very few studies investigating the accessibility of museum websites. A quantitative evaluation of different aspects of accessibility was conducted in the study, which can pave the way for the better design of web sites by addressing deficiencies.

Development of Data Labelling and Visualization Technologies for Cultural Heritage Intelligent Curation

This study aims to enable users of digitized cultural heritage artefacts to understand the correlation between artefacts and their context, discover new knowledge, and gain inspiration. We have developed data labelling and visualization technologies specific to cultural heritage so that users, such as curators, cultural heritage experts, and museum visitors, can easily and quickly access the information that they want through the correlation between artefacts. We came up with a web-based labelling tool for cultural heritage data and applied it to data on 45,692 artefacts from the National Museum of Korea. We also invented a web-based visualization tool that converts lists of attribute information in Excel spreadsheets into visualized content and edits the attributes. The meanings of thumbnails of visualized cultural heritage and that of connected lines, a search function, and visualized cultural heritage will allow users to quickly and easily access the cultural heritage information they are looking for.

Research on Cultural Heritage Information and Digital VisualizationTaking Confucius Museum as an Example

Research on Cultural Heritage Information and Digital VisualizationTaking Confucius Museum as an Example

Research on Cultural Heritage Information and Digital VisualizationTaking Confucius Museum as an Example

Cultural heritage information includes intuitive information and hidden information of cultural heritage, which is the precious wealth left by history to mankind, the basic basis for judging cultural identity and cultural sovereignty, also the great significance to human civilization. In recent years, many explorations and practices have been made in the collection, preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage information. With the rapid development of digital visualization technology and Internet technology, the development level of digital visualization technology is constantly improving. Because of its powerful and efficient information processing ability and diversified display methods, it has been used by more and more historical and cultural institutions. Taking Confucius Museum as a specific case, this paper analyzes the development status of digital visualization of cultural heritage information, discusses the design method of digital visualization, and makes innovative exploration.

Creating Sustainable Content by Integrating Cultural Heritage on Instagram

Background: With the extensive research conducted on millennials and their behaviors, most resulting in understanding the generations as the digital generations who are always been stereotype and linked to negative adjectives. Aim: This research explores the various cultural heritage information use as Instagram content on a single origin coffee brand from Flores, Indonesia and gain a better understanding on how cultural heritage can become a sustainable content as an approach to digital marketing strategy. Method: The research was conducted on thirty Instagram followers of a single-origin coffee brand based in Jakarta, that uses coffee originating from Sikka, Flores. Findings: The descriptive analysis result from surveys and follow-up interviews resulting in three main archetypal characteristic of Indonesian Millennials in Jakarta who are more appreciative towards unorthodox content post on the brand’s Instagram account.

An assessment for the conservation mechanism of masonry architectural heritage based on material deterioration analysis: a case study of the Xuhai Dao Shu screen wall (Xuzhou, China)

ABSTRACT Materials are important carriers of historical information of masonry architectural heritage and can also directly reflect decay problems due to environmental factors during building use, which are key factors to be considered in architectural heritage conservation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the logicality and effectiveness of conservation mechanism based on material deterioration analysis. In this study, the Xuhai Dao Shu screen wall at the Xuzhou cultural relic building was selected as a pilot site. The research method involved the innovative use of orthophoto images derived in three-dimensional software for analyzing the materials and decay phenomena of the screen wall. The results indicated that there were five types of architectural materials and eight types of decay phenomena associated with the Xuhai Dao Shu screen wall, and through examination, corresponding conservation measures were proposed based on the specific deterioration causes with illustrations of possible intervention measures. This study demonstrated that the conservation mechanism identified based on material deterioration mechanism analysis, can aid in obtaining the existing material and decay information and formulating more pertinent conservation paradigm for preserving the authenticity of masonry architectural heritage.

A Review: How Deep Learning Technology Impacts the Evaluation of Traditional Village Landscapes

Recently, the deep learning technology has been adopted in the study of traditional village landscape. More precisely, it’s usually used to explore the representation of cultural heritage and the diversity of heritage information. In this study, we comprehensively reviewed these deep learning-related literatures for the evaluation of traditional village landscapes. E.g., the landscape image recognition led by the pixel-level semantic segmentation algorithm and image feature extraction technology enable user-centred exploration and make cultural heritage digitally and visually accessible. By suggesting a analytic framework using the pixel-level semantic segmentation algorithm and extracting image features, we attempted to identify the physical attributes and spatial characteristics of traditional village landscapes and further simulate the value perception thinking of experts and the public. Besides, we analysed the impact factors and correlation mechanism of spatial attributes to provide a scientific basis and technical support for the protection and utilization of traditional villages.

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.

Nasleđe u mešovitoj realnosti - potencijal javnih prostora u blizini Studentskog trga za koncept edutainment-a

Contemporary everyday life acknowledges the wide use of new technologies and digital media in many spheres of public life, making it a valuable aspect to be explored when designing contemporary public spaces. Approaching heritage information within public space, the use of new technologies enables interaction not only with the visible spectre of heritage sites but can also unveil the 'invisible' heritage through mixed-reality environments. Overlapped heritage sites within Belgrade's historical centre around the Students Square offer significant aspects for exploring the potential for creating interactive mixed-reality environments. The paper aims to define the variety of spatial aspects and public space qualities required for creating places of contemporary interaction with heritage sites. Considering the previously adopted concept of edutainment (education + entertainment) to communicate heritage information with users through different media, the research addresses new ways of heritage presentation to improve public spaces with densely overlapped heritage. By viewing mixed reality not only as a means of interaction but as a way of presenting multi-layered information, this research adds the requirements for digital infrastructure to the site analysis. By testing the new set of analyses in Students Square, research offers a new understanding of the relationship between stakeholders, users, and spatial characteristics, required for the mixed-reality presentation of cultural heritage.

Curadoria Digital na perspectiva social pós-moderna: facetas curatoriais, conceitos e técnicas participativas

Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies transform the spaces for presenting cultural heritage information and communication from brick-and-mortar spaces into hybrid environments: both on-site and digital-virtual. This transformation demands a more specific Digital Curation on the Web 2.0 context, platform on which participatory approaches emerge in the curatorial process, such as Social, Collective and Citizen Curations, which use crowdsourcing and storytelling. In this scenario, this article questions the difference between Digital Curation and other participatory curations which have emerged in postmodernity. The objective was to explore the Digital Curation facets in the participatory approach in the scope of Information Science. The scientific relevance of the paper was justified by the need for stakeholders’ participation in the curation of cultural contents and the necessary approach by Information Science. The methodology was qualitative in nature, theoretical and exploratory. The theoretical research was carried out on the proposed themes, and their similarities and differences were explored. Digital Curation expands by presenting new curatorial facets - Social, Citizen and Collective -, which present different levels of social involvement and can converge with each other, according to the objective of the proposed curation project. Crowdsourcing and storytelling techniques are used for the curatorial process with a participatory approach.

The research project “CHARMING PISTOIA”: an integrated HBIM project for preservation and maintenance of heritage structures

The implementation of proper strategies of conservation of heritage structures requires the collection of heterogeneous sources of information (historical evolution, past restoration works, experimental data, monitoring systems results, etc.). The handling of this data needs an effective informative modelling, able to collect different type of data by using 3D parametric model. Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) can be considered a promising tool for the conservation of monuments which have to be protected along the centuries, thanks to its capability of archiving and handling the building information. This paper discusses this topic by describing the research project “CHARMING PISTOIA” (Cultural HeritAge infoRmation ModellING for PISTOIA: from monitoring data to digital twin). The goal of the project is to deliver tools and methodologies to improve conservation of historical constructions by ensuring the optimal use of the resources required for the tasks of Control & Preservation of heritage buildings. It proposed a three steps approach: i) the design of the HBIM to collect the information on the structure and to export them in computational models; ii) the integration of a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to ensure the steady flow of structural information and its updating through Bayesian inference; iii). the definition of robust computational models for the Joint Vulnerability Assessment of the structure and the works of art inside. In this context, the Pieve of Sant'Andrea in Pistoia (Italy) and its masterpiece, the Pulpit of Giovanni Pisano, represents an emblematic case study to meet the challenges of the research. In this paper the preliminary stages of the project are reported and discussed together with the expected results.

Considerations on Scientific Conservation Treatment and Original Form of Rain Gauge Pedestals Kept at the Korea Meteorological Museum of Korea

The material characteristics and conservation conditions of the Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gyeongsang</i> Provincial Office, <i>Daegu</i>(National Treasure) and the Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gwansanggam</i>, Bureau of Astronomy(Treasure) which have been kept at the Korea Meteorological Administration were scientifically diagnosed, and the conservation treatment for those artifacts was performed. The Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gyeongsang</i> Provincial Office was made of aplite at that time but on the other hand, its bottom stone was made of medium and coarse grained grantite since 1985. The Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gwansanggam</i> was made of medium and coarse grained granite in pale rose color, and based on petrologic material characteristics and characteristic values by magnetic susceptibility measurements, it is presumed to have been made in the late Joseon Dynasty. The main contamination on the surface of the rain gage pedestals is black contaminants which were derived from carbon, and the fiber laser was used to complete the work after dry and wet cleaning were performed. In addition, impurities caused by acrylic colors and paint were removed by the poultice method after the preliminary cleaning. In terms of consolidation as the final stage of the conservation process, the ultrasonic assessment on physical properties before and after consolidation resulted in more than 10% improvement on average. From a perspective of the original form as cultural heritage, the bottom stone of Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gyeongsang</i> Provincial Office has been treated with mortar on the surface and its color was matched during the conservation treatment, which hinders approach to exact information of cultural heritage. Furthermore, with regard to the Rain Gauge Pedestal of <i>Gwansanggam</i>, there is the need to examine whether it served as a pedestal to support the rain gauge(<i>Cheugugi</i>), judging by material characteristics, manufacturing techniques of rain gauge holes and <i>Donggwoldo</i> depicting a rain gauge in the painting. Therefore, the opportunity to establish authenticity of cultural heritage will be required by doing literature research on cultural heritage of traditional science technology, historical research on the original form and natural scientific analysis.

Content Curation for Spatial Experience of Architectural Heritage

Augmented space can be usefully applied to cultural heritage experience, because it is possible to experience physical space and acquire information at the same time. Experiencers can expand their experiences through virtual content while feeling the presence of relics or historic sites. The cultural heritage experiences currently implemented show simple forms in terms of their content and delivery method. Many cases repeatedly provide the same content regardless of the experience in a specific location. The present research, titled “the spatial-experience model of architectural heritage,” derived a methodology for construction of spatial experiences augmented by digital technology. Specifically, it deals with the problem of content curation and the limitations of the information system, which can be seen in the spatial-experience composition methods in the current digital heritage field. The information structure of the model was improved to enable spatial-oriented explanation of the expression of architectural heritage, which was insufficient in the existing metadata and ontology structures. The model has inference rules for creating an experience sequence and composes various combinations of experience content based on historical knowledge relationships. The model and reasoning rules were tested by applying them to real architectural heritage cases. Based on the test results, the role of the information structure in the spatial expression of its combination with content, as well as the possibility of diversification of sequence derivation, were considered. This research presents a syntax for construction of a semantic-rich environment while extending historical knowledge and spatial expression to the existing cultural heritage information system. In addition, by means of the content generator, which is a model for producing content using the extended descriptive language system, it is possible to create experience content in response to the increasing amount and demands of data. By applying the proposed model, it will be possible to quickly and easily derive various experience contents from the cultural heritage space, thereby reducing cost and time for content producers and providing an evolved spatial experience for consumers.