Tangible Cultural Heritage Research Articles

Dynamic model identification of the medieval bell tower of Casertavacchia (Italy)

The structural safeguard of tangible cultural heritage, monuments in particular, needs a multi-disciplinary approach involving historical–critical analysis, survey, in-situ and laboratory testing to provide a comprehensive knowledge on the object under investigation and build a structural model representative of the current state of the monument. In this paper, this approach is applied to the case study of the bell tower of San Michele Arcangelo cathedral in Casertavecchia (Italy). The historical–critical analysis was fundamental to understand the evolution of the tower over the centuries. Material tests were complemented by ambient vibration testing (AVT) which allowed for a complete characterisation of frequencies and mode shapes for the bell towers. A further model identification procedure was carried out to exploit the amount of information gathered within the documental and experimental activities and set up a reasonably accurate numerical model. The activities described in this paper highlight (a) the importance of correctly representing all substructures present in the monument, possibly hidden and built in different historical periods; (b) the possibility offered by model identification procedures to separate identifiable from less significant parameters, as well as selecting the best model in terms of representation complexity; (c) the effect of soil-structure and structure-structure interaction on the modal behaviour of the monument. In particular, the identification analyses without considering the inner concrete frame are consistently characterised by higher values of ωf and ωMAC compared to the analogous analyses in which all substructures were included. The best fit with the dynamic data is obtained by introducing deformable structure-soil connection while the effect of lateral constraints is hardly captured by the utilised setup.

Silk road heritage: The artistic representation of port trading culture in the images of characters in Qing Dynasty Guangzhou export paintings.

As customized artistic commodities, export paintings mirrored Guangzhou's unique overseas trade culture and social power in a microscopic view, nevertheless, few researchers have delved into the cultural relationship between the use of the painting techniques and the characters of the export paintings. Based on an iconographic approach, this article aims to analyze the historical iconography information of the Qing dynasty export paintings from the perspective of the trade development and cultural exchange between the East and West during the 18th century by the study of the export paintings' characters expressions and costumes colors, providing insights into the exploration of the value of tangible cultural heritage. In the process of our research, shows that: 1) the dominant laboring characters in the export paintings present standing postures, and most of them demonstrate negative emotions; 2) many of the characters of the export paintings show high similarities due to the assembly-line mode of painting during manufacture; 3) the portrayal of the characters in the export paintings reflects a return of a sense of humanity. This is evident in the fact that the subject of the paintings abounds in the scenes showing local folklore, working views, and daily life in Guangzhou. Meanwhile, the characters in the painting are vividly portrayed in a realistic style. The use of mixed colors on the costumes of different characters reflects a universal value of having regard for the equality of all men; 4) Guangzhou export painting decorative art evolution of the development of the dual development of Chinese and Western fusion of veins. Guangzhou export paintings of the Qing dynasty satisfied the customers' reverie for 'Oriental Civilization' and their purpose of seeking novelty of foreign cultures. It also revealed the subtle dynamics of the interplay between Guangzhou's social power, trading capital, and blending art.

Manifestation and Management of Cultural Heritage: An Analysis of the Old Towns of Kenyan Coastal Region

The study examined the current manifestation of intangible and tangible cultural heritage of old towns of Lamu and Mombasa in the coastal region of Kenya, with a view of evaluating management efforts by heritage managers in the region. An exploratory research design with a mixed method approach was used to generate new ideas and assumptions regarding how cultural heritage is manifested. A sample size of 110 participants from both towns was selected through multistage cluster sampling, out of which 15 heritage managers, 40 community household leaders and 55 community elders were selected using purposive and snowball techniques. The study utilized semi structured interview guides, photography and observation as data collection methods. Descriptive analysis, content analysis-specifically attribution and designation analysis were used to analyze data. The study established that cultural heritage in the old towns is manifested through symbols, values and artefacts and architecture. Among the most evident manifestations in both old towns are in the form of wedding ceremonies, burial rituals, and limited cultural festivals especially during key religious practices Manifested architectural heritage undergoing shocks is restored for tourism purposes. However, intangible heritage is preserved, not for tourism purposes but as part of local’s way of life and as dictated by cultural values such as religion. Most organizations concerned with management of cultural heritage recognize its importance and have adapted reconstruction and restoration methods of tangible heritage especially old architecture. Among preferred recommendations were that tourism as the main economic activity in the region should be developed to benefit cultural heritage. The article advocates promoting resilience of heritage through gainful economic activities such as tourism to promote its posterity.

Historic street layout and its impact on shaping residents’ daily lives: insights from Sanxue Street, Xi’an

ABSTRACT Historic street layouts are integral to historic districts’ tangible cultural heritage and are intricately linked to the residents’ daily lives; however, existing studies have only examined their spatial aspects, primarily using quantitative methods. Conversely, studies on tangible cultural heritage’s impact on residents’ lives have principally employed qualitative methods. Therefore, this study bridges qualitative and quantitative approaches to propose a layout – daily life model, which explains the relationship between the layout of Xi’an, China’s Sanxue Street historic and cultural district, and its residents’ daily lives. A combination of space syntax and geographic information system-based land-use analyses revealed that eating, shopping, calligraphy, and transportation were the main activities of residents. Questionnaire responses from 335 participants validated the proposed model and confirmed its feasibility. When certain types of facilities are widely distributed in streets with high choice and integration, residents’ daily lives tend to involve the functions represented by them. Furthermore, calligraphy is an important part of most residents’ daily lives, regardless of the transportation mode used. This study contributes to the understanding of the effect of tangible cultural heritage, particularly street layouts, on residents’ daily lives in historic districts.

Dive Into the Past: Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Represented in Chinese Mobile Games

This study delves into the representation of intangible Chinese cultural heritage in Chinese mobile games. Nowadays, even with huge economic potential, Chinese mobile games are still faced with negative comments, especially from parents. To develop their reputation, Chinese mobile games have portrayed considerate Chinese intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The representation of cultural heritage in video games has been a subject of discussion for a long time, while console and computer games and tangible cultural heritage have been at the centre of academic studies. Hence, we strived to investigate how Chinese ICH is depicted in Chinese mobile games. A thematic analysis was conducted on data collected through analytical gameplay of 30 Chinese mobile games selected from Apple’s App Store and the Chinese TapTap platform. Our analysis indicates that Chinese ICH is represented in Chinese mobile games to fulfil the persona of game characters, to create a more engaging and immersive game world experience, to provide more intense combat moments, to offer visually enjoyable virtual goods, and to deliver culturally driven updates during traditional festivals. Among the various forms of Chinese ICH, Chinese traditional craftsmanship is found to be used most frequently because of the huge effort it requires to be mastered, which could be educational to players. Theatrical traditions were found to be depicted in most game elements because they combine visual, audio, and motional elements. Lastly, folk and classical literature is portrayed in Chinese mobile games to provide a narrative resource that culturally resonates with players.

The Role of Virtual Reality Technology in Promotion of Tangible Cultural Heritage Tourism applied on the Serapeum area in Alexandria Governorate

The Role of Virtual Reality Technology in Promotion of Tangible Cultural Heritage Tourism applied on the Serapeum area in Alexandria Governorate

Heritage BIM (HBIM) applied in emergency scenarios: a case study of the National Museum in Brazil

Heritage buildings, integral to preserving culture and history, play a vital role in shaping regional identity and collective memory. To address the intricate complexities of conserving such tangible cultural heritage, Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) emerges as a compelling avenue, uniting technology, historic preservation, and architectural expertise. Nonetheless, a remarkable research gap exists, particularly in its application within emergency scenarios involving fire accidents during post-recovery phases. This research aims to bridge this gap by proposing key areas of focus for applying HBIM in the aftermath of fire incidents, redefining disaster recovery for heritage sites. The proposed areas are informed by a thorough assessment of the case study related to the post-recovery process undertaken by the Brazilian National Museum after the devastating fire of 2018. This case study combines gathering documentary evidence, on-site assessments, 3D model development within the BIM environment, and interdisciplinary collaboration. By emphasizing informed decision-making, precise damage assessment, and meticulous reconstruction planning, this study advances HBIM's transformative role in heritage conservation and disaster recovery, resulting in a novel approach to safeguarding cultural heritage.

A Review on Conservational Methodologies of Tangible Cultural Artifacts from Environmental Corrosion

Tangible cultural heritage are invaluable assets inherited from our ancestors, encompassing transformative skills, culture, tradition, knowledge and practice, passed down by generations to generation. It is sad to say that, these assets are at brink of deterioration, and vandalism from both pernicious natural forces and relentless time laps. There is an urgent need of preserving and carefully transferring these treasures to the future generations. The main objective of our study is to provide basic knowledge for the conservation of cultural artifacts. With this investigation, we lay stress on the significance of cultural artifacts, delve the factors influencing corrosion, talk about cleaning methods and stressing the use of inhibitor or protective coating to shield them from further decay. Our study emphasizes the urgent need of development of new methodologies and strategies to safeguard these assets from ruinous events. In addition, it also present ongoing efforts applied in transmission and preservation of these metallic artifacts in their original form.

STRATEGIES FOR NET ZERO CARBON IN SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES FOR HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IN MALAYSIA

Heritage buildings have always been essential in improving the quality of the city’s life, especially for the communities living in historical settings. They play a vital part in representing historical, architectural, cultural, political, spiritual, and symbolic values that are passed down to generations. Historical buildings are often considered dilapidated, and due to society's neglect of these, the historical buildings positioned within the oldest parts of the city have deteriorated. Heritage buildings in Malaysia are defined as historical buildings that are protected under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645) to preserve tangible cultural heritage. This study intends to identify the Strategies contributing to Net Zero Carbon in Sustainable Conservation Practices for Historical Buildings in Malaysia. The research primarily focused on Conservation Architects and Heritage Professionals, with data being collected through semi-structured interviews and subsequently subjected to Thematic Analysis Matrix. The objective was to propose a set of recommendations for sustainable practices in the conservation of heritage buildings in Malaysia, aimed at achieving net zero carbon emissions. This endeavour was aimed at advancing the discourse on Net Zero Carbon in Historical Buildings and fostering public awareness regarding the significance of these architectural treasures.

Linguistic landscapes of intangible cultural heritage museums representing minority languages: the case of the ‘Gerhard Rohlfs’ Museum of the Calabrian Greek Language

ABSTRACT Interest in the intangible cultural heritage of minority and Indigenous communities has grown in recent years. Minority languages are often a key element of this heritage but require constant safeguarding and practice to be available for future generations. The linguistic landscapes of (in)tangible cultural heritage museums can play a crucial role in this. In this study, the linguistic landscape of the ‘Gerhard Rohlfs’ Museum of the Calabrian Greek Language is therefore explored to understand how it can contribute to the safeguarding of a severely endangered language. A linguistic landscape analysis of 248 photographs revealed a significant presence of Calabrian Greek (Greko), reflecting a more equal status and prestige compared to Italian. The most widely used language, however, was Italian, ensuring museum content was accessible to the presumed main target audience. The lack of English suggests lower international visitor numbers, potentially benefiting the safeguarding of Calabrian Greek by reducing competition with another majority language. The findings thus demonstrate how language choices can support safeguarding measures for languages as intangible cultural heritage, through challenging language hierarchies and hegemonies. Further research should explore tourists’ and locals’ perceptions of such museums and the potential use of minority or endangered languages as sustainable tourism resources.

Dynamically documenting archaeological excavations based on 3D modeling: a case study of the excavation of the #3 fossil of hominin cranium from Yunxian, Hubei, China

Documenting tangible cultural heritage using 3D modeling techniques is gradually becoming an indispensable component of archaeological practice. The 3D modeling techniques based on photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning enable high-accuracy and high-realistic reconstruction of archaeological sites, and have been proven a powerful tool for documenting archaeological excavations. However, dynamically documenting an ongoing excavation using these techniques is still considered tedious, time-consuming, expensive, and dependent on expertise. Moreover, the application of 3D modeling techniques in archaeological excavations still faces some technical challenges, such as modeling with multi-source and multi-scale data, fusing local models at different times into a whole, achieving fast modeling while GPU workstations are not available in the field, and evaluating the quality of 3D models. As a result, there are still very few archaeological teams deeply engaged in dynamic documentation with 3D modeling techniques, and traditional drawing sketches and taking photographs still dominate. In these senses, documenting the archaeological excavation at the Yunxian Man site (located in Hubei, China) is an invaluable opportunity for exploration and practice. Archaeologists determined to conduct dynamically documenting at the beginning of the 6th excavation project for the site, and established a rotation system to reconcile physical excavation with digital preservation. Through repeated practice and communication, we proposed a workflow and pursued several new methods to enhance the feasibility of dynamically documenting, and obtained 4D models of the ongoing archaeological excavations. In 2022, the Yunxian Man site unearthed the most intact fossil of hominin cranium from about one million years ago in the Eurasian continent, preserving important and scarce anatomical features of early humans in Asia. As the original taphonomic context of the fossil corroded away during physical excavations, the digital documentation consisting of 4D models serves as permanent original data source in subsequent archaeological research. Moreover, we obtained cross-scale 3D models from geographical environment to archaeological site, excavation area, and cultural remains, and all of these 3D models are in an actual, unified coordinate framework. Thus, we can contribute to multidisciplinary cross-collaborative research through data sharing. Considering that digital documentations serve a great value in archaeological research, this paper focuses on sharing the workflow and methods to facilitate digital preservation for more archaeological projects.

MonuNet: a high performance deep learning network for Kolkata heritage image classification

Kolkata, renowned as the City of Joy, boasts a rich tapestry of cultural heritage spanning centuries. Despite the significance of its architectural marvels, accessing comprehensive visual documentation of Kolkata's heritage sites remains a challenge. In online searches, limited imagery often fails to provide a detailed understanding of these historical landmarks. To address this gap, this paper introduces MonuNet, a high-performance deep-learning network specifically designed for the classification of heritage images from Kolkata. The development of MonuNet addresses the critical need for efficient and accurate identification of Kolkata's architectural marvels, which are significant tangible cultural heritages. The dataset used to train MonuNet is organized by heritage sites, each category within the dataset represents distinct sites. It includes images from 13 prominent heritage sites in Kolkata. For each of these sites, there are 50 images, making it a structured collection where each category (heritage site) is equally represented. The proposed network utilizes a unique architecture incorporating a Dense channel attention module and a Parallel-spatial channel attention module to capture intricate architectural details and spatial relationships within the images. Experimental evaluations demonstrate the superior performance of MonuNet in classifying Kolkata heritage images with an accuracy of 89%, Precision of 87.77%, and Recall of 86.61%. The successful deployment of MonuNet holds significant implications for cultural preservation, tourism enhancement, and urban planning in Kolkata, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for sustainable city development. By providing a robust tool for the automatic identification and classification of heritage images, MonuNet promises to enrich online repositories with detailed visual documentation, thereby enhancing accessibility to Kolkata's cultural heritage for researchers, tourists, and urban planners alike.Graphical

Transnational flows of living cultural heritage: African screen media in the world

Transnational flows of living cultural heritage: African screen media in the world Dr. Sheila Petty, FRSC, Professor of Media Studies and SaskPower Research Chair in Cultural Heritage, at the University of Regina, explores transnational movements of living cultural heritage in African screen media. My research program investigates transnational methodologies in the expression and safeguarding of intangible and tangible cultural heritage (screen media). It proposes a reflection on current debates around identity politics in globalizing cultures, political and cultural sovereignty, control of representation in image production, and modes of resistance to colonialism in African screen media.

Scanning, modelling and dissemination of the interior appearance of wooden historic churches in the Maramures region of Romania

In the Maramureș region of Romania there is a large number of historic wooden churches dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. These objects of tangible cultural heritage continue to be exposed to degradation factors. Meanwhile, their interiors hide important and historically valuable artefacts of cultural heritage. Their loss would noticeably impoverish the heritage of local communities. This article presents the problems of 3D scanning the interiors of wooden historic churches, the scanning methodology specifically developed for this occasion, the equipment used and its parameters, and the results of its application. Four examples of wooden churches from the Maramureș region were studied: modern laser scanning technologies with appropriate selection of parameters permits a satisfactorily precise scan of the interior of a wooden religious building, even in difficult lighting conditions. The methodology and equipment choice was proven to be successful and is recommended here for future projects in the region and for structures facing similar challenges.

Review of Modern Approaches to 3D Digitization of Tangible Cultural Heritage

This review highlights modern technologies‘ pose in cultural heritage, digitization and accessibility. It provides a comprehensive view of the issue from the perspective of the digitisation centre, at the Czech University and cooperates with organizations of different sizes. Technology and Innovation offer countless possibilities, but not all are suitable for working with cultural heritage. Several rules must be followed to avoid damaging it while respecting the ethics related to the heritage in question. In addition, it is important to consider copyright law and other regulations that vary from state to state. However, these aspects are not the main concern of this study.

Special Issue on 3D Information Technologies for Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage—Motivations, Overview of Published Works, and Perspectives for the Future

The concept of tangible cultural heritage has been defined a long time ago and international legal acts have been created to protect, preserve, and popularize it [...]

Understanding Users’ Behavior Intention of Serious Games for Intangible Cultural Heritage Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response Model

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) represents a major component of the global cultural heritage. It is confronted with challenges in its preservation and transmission. Unlike tangible cultural heritage, which has seen extensive research through serious games, ICH has not received similar attention. Despite the prevalent application of serious games in previous research on cultural heritage conservation, the focus has primarily been on ICH. However, their importance has been largely ignored in the scholarly investigation of ICH preservation. We propose a theoretical model that combines the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with a survey of 551 gamers utilized for data collection. Our results indicate that the three stimuli of serious games (enjoyment, cultural identity, and aesthetic quality) significantly impact user perceptions. Furthermore, these perceptions (i.e., perceived usefulness, ease of use, entertainment, and empathy) all positively influence user behavioral intentions. This research increases the understanding of user engagement with serious games for ICH and offers valuable insights for designers and stakeholders in the development of these educational tools.

Unveiling Cultural Heritage: Exploring the Perceived Online Destination Image of China’s Cultural Heritage Destination and Narrative Strategy in Travel Vlogs

ABSTRACT From the perspective of cultural heritage tourism, this study aimed to explore the narrative strategy utilized in travel vlogs and the perceived online destination image of Meishan City through travel vlogs. Grounded in an interpretivism paradigm, data was collected from WeChat Channels, and a five-element narrative analysis method was adopted to analyze six travel vlogs. The findings revealed that travel vlogs display the online destination image of Meishan City as an authentic cultural heritage destination. The study further identified a three-stage narrative strategy utilized in travel vlogs that effectively integrates intangible and tangible cultural heritage destination elements, including narrative enrichment, narrative ascendant, and narrative resonance. It further enhances the online destination image and highlights the significance of Chinese cultural heritage. This work provides valuable theoretical and practical implications for cultural heritage destination studies and marketing practice.

Non-Verbal Communication Aspect in Paper Umbrella Craft as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Malang

Paper umbrellas are one of the crafts included in the intangible cultural heritage of Malang, East Java. Currently, it is known that there is only one group of craftsmen who still produce this paper umbrella craft. Although not many of them, this paper umbrella craft still exists among people who like traditional handicrafts. This is evident from how often paper umbrella crafts appear at craft exhibitions in cities in Indonesia. Consequently, there is a pressing need for in-depth research on paper umbrella craftsmanship in Malang City. A valuable avenue for exploration is the examination of non-verbal communication aspects inherent in paper umbrella craftsmanship. This study aimed to determine the non-verbal communication aspects contained in paper umbrella crafts. The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach, focusing on analyzing non-verbal communication aspects. Data was collected using unstructured interview methods, documentation, and field surveys. The collected data was reduced for analysis using nonverbal communication theory. The study findings are presented descriptively, detailing the observed non-verbal communication aspects. The findings reveal three distinct categories of non-verbal communication aspects in paper umbrella craftsmanship: fixed features, semi-fixed features, and non-fixed features. Fixed features include shapes depicted on the umbrella. Semi fixed feature is a choice of material used to make paper umbrellas, colors, and motifs. The materials used are bamboo and paper. The colors of the umbrellas are red and green. The motif drawn on the umbrella is a floral motif. Flowers are present because they are the favorite shapes of the craftsmen who make umbrellas. Non-fixed features encompass the entire process of crafting paper umbrellas, from material preparation to final finishing touches. Keywords: umbrella paper, craft, tangible cultural heritage

Investigating Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage in constructing the phenomenon of Narmada River Parikrama

The traces of earliest human settlements are found on the bank of rivers which are one the natural forms of drinking water which are considered as a lifeline of the settlements. Since ancient time, Indian Culture assigned motherly values to rivers because of their significance in respective regional settings. Through-out the Indian Subcontinent, traditions and rituals evolved from ages around the rivers have shaped up some commonly followed cultural aspects along with some specific rituals to the rivers. Circumambulation of River Narmada, Shri Krishna Poojan on Yamuna River Banks at Vrindavan are examples of some of these specific cultural aspects. Out of the most sacred seven rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Godawari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, and Kaweri); River Narmada has special cultural significance with its strategic geographical location dividing Indian subcontinent in Northern and Southern parts. This research is aimed to investigate the role of intangible Heritage in constructing the phenomenon of Narmada River Parikrama based on the parameters like historical importance, poetic references, mentions in Puraans, folk culture, religious importance, TapoBhumi Narmada (रेवा तीरे तप: कुर्यात!) with the very unique cultural aspect of Parikrama (Circumambulation) of a river as a deity. Parameters to understand cultural footprints were delineated to these aspects with the focus of completing one stage of research in stipulated time schedule. The religious aspect includes Tirthsthana (Sacredscapes) on the Parikrama Path on North and South banks, rituals, and activities followed by the devotees, and the connectivity of Lord Shiva with River Narmada. A famous verse says नर्मदा का हर कंकर है शंकर! (Means, each gravel of River Narmada depicts Lord Shiva.) Hence the religious thread in cultural heritage studies is very strong and needs to be established with the Parikrama perspective. The analytical methodology for conducting research included study of various literature references about River Narmada written by historians, poets, Saints, and ancient scriptures like Puraan, Mahatmya etc. available in the form of books, doctoral research thesis, research papers and scholarly articles. These literature sources refer River Narmada focusing on various perspectives. They are critically analysed and inferences regarding role of intangible cultural footprints around Narmada River banks in forming the Phenomenon of Parikrama are summarized in this paper. Next stage of the research or a way-forwards of this research study can be continued further to establish manifestation of Parikrama Concept in the tangible cultural heritage with respect to spatial planning and built forms.