• Open Access close
• Closed Access close
• Open Source close
• Publications close
• Research software close
• Other research products close
• GR close
• Digital Humanities and Cultural Her... close

This study explores the use of advanced 3D imaging and printing technologies to digitally document and physically replicate cultural artifacts from the Archaeological Museum of Alexandroupolis. By employing structured light scanning and additive manufacturing techniques, detailed digital models and precise physical replicas of two significant artifacts were created—a humanoid ceramic vessel and a glass cup. A handheld 3D scanner was utilized for capturing intricate surface details, with post-processing methods to refine and colorize the digital models. Regarding 3D printing, both Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA) were employed, tailored to the artifacts’ unique requirements for resolution and material properties. This dual approach supports heritage preservation by generating tangible educational resources and providing alternative exhibits to safeguard original artifacts. Our results demonstrate that integrating 3D scanning and printing effectively enhances the accessibility, durability, and educational utility of cultural heritage assets, offering a sustainable model for artifact preservation and study.

This publication highlights the strategic combination of the preservation of heritage and innovation for supporting the sustainability of traditional crafts in Europe. Demonstrating both challenges and opportunities faced by artisans, there is a need to balance cultural authenticity and the pressures of current markets and environmental imperatives. The research has explored interventions at three levels of craft practice, education, and training and recommends practical directions on short- and long-term bases. Key findings include new materials and technologies to revitalize crafts, the integration of digital tools in education, and cross-border collaboration, which are considered vital for enhancing the visibility and viability of traditional crafts. The circular economy principles and eco-certifications emerge as key to aligning traditional crafts with global sustainability goals. The analysis also highlights cultural policies and funding mechanisms as a means of encouraging innovation and promoting the resilience of the craft sector. The publication, by weaving together case studies, policy analysis, and strategic recommendations, provides a comprehensive roadmap for stakeholders—from artisans and educators to policymakers and researchers—to ensure that the legacy and relevance of Europe’s rich craft heritage continue.

Children’s consonant cluster productions in typical and atypical phonological development were investigated for different languages reporting developmental productions that are universal, language-specific, and/or child-specific. These patterns are often interpreted considering sonority hierarchy effects. Quantitative norms on developmental cluster productions are less prevalent in the literature cross-linguistically, as are investigations on the development of less frequent cluster types in the world’s languages, like those involving falling and level sonority two-member onsets. Our study contributes to these investigations, focusing on Greek-specific onsets: falling sonority obstruents [ft, xt], level sonority obstruents [fθ, fç, ðʝ, xθ, ɣð], and level sonority nasals [mɲ]. We present cross-sectional, longitudinal data from 90 monolingual children, aged 2;0–4;0, based on the word elicitation task, Phonological Assessment for Greek (PAel). As only [ft] 89%, [fç] 80%, [mɲ] 88% are acquired by 3;6–4;0, the data provide evidence that [ft, xt, fθ, xθ, ɣð] reduce to C2, [mɲ] reduces to C1, and [fç], [ðʝ] show the most variability in reduction/simplification patterns. Reduction patterns largely reflect individual cluster acquisition paths longitudinally; the relative reduction to a member changes with age, but the preference to the member does not, except for [ðʝ]. The data facilitate the establishment of quantitative markers for cluster development and qualitative interpretations in terms of featural and structural prominence, including a veiled sonority effect not previously reported in the literature.

Cultural heritage is a common good passed down as a legacy from previous to future generations. Its preservation is a strong commitment to humanity. The main motivation for this project is based on this understanding and arose from the need for the proper and scientifically documented recording of cultural heritage (CH), both movable and immovable monuments of ecclesiastical cultural treasures. Despite its significance, the systematic documentation of ecclesiastical heritage remains fragmented, lacking a standardized and scientifically driven approach. This research addresses this critical gap by developing a structured methodology for the recording, organization, and digital archiving of ecclesiastical CH monuments. This was accomplished by codifying the actual recording and documentation needs for the ecclesiastical cultural treasures, with the systematic study of the users’ needs. The study focused on the region of Thrace, encompassing areas of Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, where post-Byzantine ecclesiastical treasures are expected to be in abundance. Through the design and implementation of surveys and metadata collection, this project has the capacity to facilitate digital transformation across the interconnected fields of religion, arts, and CH. Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, both within and outside the clergy community, including owners and end-users connected to ecclesiastical cultural treasures, were actively involved in the process. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of building distance communication channels and promoting digital transformation across the interconnected fields of religion and cultural heritage. Our emphasis was to actively engage stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to create a practical, user-friendly documentation tool that meets their actual needs.

Maritime cultural heritage (MCH) in Greece remains poorly explored and underutilized due to several key challenges, including the dispersed locations of heritage sites, limited community engagement in decision-making, and the absence of a well-structured decentralized governance framework. This paper addresses these issues by focusing on strategic planning and social management to better integrate coastal and maritime heritage sites into both tourism development and the everyday life of local communities. Our research examines the creation of local social networks and participatory decision-making processes, as well as the adoption of innovative solutions such as maritime spatial planning (MSP) and soft projects to connect scattered cultural sites into cohesive, integrated clusters. The aim is to foster tourism and economic development through collaboration with local stakeholders. The findings emphasize the establishment of a social network for cultural heritage management in the West Pagasetic region of Magnesia, Greece, which culminated in a strategic plan to link cultural sites through soft projects and consultations. This process included a participatory workshop and the creation of a Community of Practice (CoP) that brought together professionals from the heritage, tourism, and planning sectors.

The promotion of geological heritage can significantly contribute to geoeducation. As geosites are areas that can be visited by everyone and not just experts on the field, a good comprehension of the processes under which they were formed can improve their understanding of the Earth in general. In this work, we have selected two Greek regions, namely Samaria Gorge (Crete) and Mount Pentelicus (Attica), and their sites of geological interest were mapped. Subsequently, some georoutes are proposed, covering both these sites and other locations of cultural, historical, archaeological, and/or religious interest. Through a detailed description of each site and its georoutes, we intend to promote the two areas’ geological heritage on the one hand, and contribute to the development of geoeducation on the other hand. For this purpose, we have also created an online story map and a Virtual Reality (VR) application for each one of them, both addressed to the general public.

This study investigates the interplay between linguistic and extralinguistic factors in language contact scenarios, focusing on inner Asia Minor Greek (iAMGr), a dialect cluster influenced by Turkish and isolated from other Greek-speaking regions. Using dialectometric techniques, we quantified the dialect distances—encompassing both grammatical and lexical features, many of which reflect foreign interference—between nineteen iAMGr varieties. A regression analysis was then employed to evaluate the impact of geographic, demographic, and other macro-social factors on these distances. The results reveal distinct patterns. The grammatical features show a substantial divergence between communities, linked to structural borrowing and primarily influenced by the dominant group’s population size and degree of contact (low- vs. high-contact variety types). In contrast, lexical features exhibit greater convergence, primarily influenced by geography, linked to the susceptibility of lexical borrowing to casual contact. Unlike previous dialectometric studies that report a strong correlation between geographic and dialect distances, our findings suggest that geography’s influence varies by linguistic level, being more pronounced in lexical distances. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that certain dialect-specific factors previously identified in qualitative studies on iAMGr are statistically insignificant. The study concludes that, while geography remains relevant, macro-social factors often play a more critical role in language contact settings, particularly in shaping grammatical distances. These findings provide new insights into the determinants of dialect distances in such contexts.

Purpose The article explores factors explaining cultural institutions’ intentions to adopt and circumstances that lead to inaction in terms of launching a crowdfunding campaign. Study Design The study is a single-case study of a Norwegian museum consortium. It combines thematic analysis of qualitative data from interviews and non-parametric tests of quantitative survey data to examine differences between four categories of employees: leadership, curators, technical staff, and support staff. Findings The study identifies three key factors contributing to the inaction and failure to launch the crowdfunding campaign: (1) the added value of funding and non-monetary benefits; (2) legitimacy concerns surrounding crowdfunding; and (3) the leadership and management of implementing what proved to be a non-routine activity. Contributions The paper provides insights into the drivers and barriers that influence the intention to use institutional cultural crowdfunding. It adds to the literature by demonstrating that cultural institutions’ internal organisational dynamics influence decision-making. The derived propositions provide a basis for further empirical research into how cultural institutions approach crowdfunding. Implications The findings hold practical implications for cultural institutions, policymakers, and scholars. They underscore the importance of leadership in navigating legitimacy concerns, fostering intra-organisational collaboration, and supporting institutional cultural crowdfunding efforts from intent to action.

The Gigantomachy depicted on the west pediment of the Late Archaic temple of Apollo at Delphi marks a significant milestone in early Greek architectural sculpture. Crafted from porous stone and enhanced with plaster and paint, the surviving fragments differ markedly from the marble figures of the east pediment of the same temple. Among the preserved figures of the Gigantomachy are a standing male figure, possibly representing Apollo or Dionysos, a warrior female identified as Athena, and a recumbent male, likely symbolizing the Giant Enkelados. This study aims to investigate the polychromy of the west pediment through a thorough investigation of the remnants of the original decoration. The adopted methodology includes exclusively non-destructive techniques and advanced imaging methods, such as portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, visible-induced luminescence (VIL), and 3D microscope observation. Analytical results confirmed the presence of extensive traces of once-vibrant colors on the plaster’s surface, which were often invisible to the naked eye. Specifically, our data support the employment of pigments like Egyptian blue, cinnabar, ochre-based reds and yellows, as well as copper-based green. Notably, these pigments were applied over a white calcium-rich layer, which served as a primer for the porous stone. Ongoing research on the Gigantomachy promises to deepen our understanding of color usage and painting techniques in Archaic Greek art.