Community Landscape Archaeology and Digital Technologies for Heritagization and Memorialization Processes
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Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Eurographics Association
Abstract
Archaeologists have increasingly embraced public and community engagement, recognizing that multi-vocal approaches, decolonization, and community participation are crucial in a global context. One of the most effective methods is fostering public involvement in research. However, studies often focus on the social, economic, and political outcomes of archaeology while underutilizing digital tools beyond dissemination, missing opportunities for co-creation, narrative building, and multivocality. Our research, part of the CHANGES-CREST project, explores the integration of community participation with mobile GIS technologies, remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence. The project aims to co-design sustainable cultural heritage tourism, develop community-based heritage practices, apply digital solutions for heritage promotion, and support decolonization processes. Two test sites in the Veneto Region have been implemented as case studies. The Venetian Lagoon has a rich archaeological record dating back to the protohistoric period to recent times but faces preservation challenges due to climate change, tourism, and migration. The Asiago Plateau presents significant archaeological phases from Prehistory to the Cold War; this peripheral region experiences tensions between development and conservation. Methodologically, we employ free mobile GIS platforms, remote sensing data (satellite images, cartography, aerial photos), Artificial Intelligence analysis and local knowledge by involving communities in sharing experiences and topographical points of interest. Participants identify culturally significant locations, associating narratives with material evidence, personal experiences and local history. Public meetings and focus groups serve as discussion forums, while archaeologists and citizens collaborate in field surveys, mapping the local heritage and creating AI models for the automatic recognition of the archaeological landscape. Mobile GIS also aids in planning future research activities, preservation and valorization of cultural heritage. By sharing GIS tools on local communities personal devices, users gain autonomy in heritage mapping and conservation. These digital tools have engaged younger and tech-savvy participants and, the use of drones fostering new perspectives on landscape analysis. Technology and landscape knowledge have emerged as shared languages between archaeologists and communities, facilitating knowledge exchange and aiding decolonization efforts. Simplifying data and establishing digital 'fixed points' in landscape reconstruction helps to re-narrate complex histories and support decolonisation. Making archaeological language accessible and openly acknowledging interpretative uncertainties promotes inclusivity over rigid academic narratives. Both case studies demonstrate that digital and community archaeology should be seen as an interconnected system of theories, tools, and practices. Free mobile GIS, in particular, empowers communities to engage actively with their heritage, fostering a contemporary and inclusive archaeological approach.
Description
@inproceedings{10.2312:dh.20253151,
booktitle = {Digital Heritage},
editor = {Campana, Stefano and Ferdani, Daniele and Graf, Holger and Guidi, Gabriele and Hegarty, Zackary and Pescarin, Sofia and Remondino, Fabio},
title = {{Community Landscape Archaeology and Digital Technologies for Heritagization and Memorialization Processes}},
author = {Magnini, Luigi and Paladini, Marco and Bergamo, Martina and Paiano, Jacopo and Rossi, Bendetta De and Calcagno, Monica and Calaon, Diego},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-277-6},
DOI = {10.2312/dh.20253151}
}