Articles by Paolo Clini

This research showcases the use of immersive digital technologies to enhance cultural heritage engagement, focusing on the archaeological site of Urbs Salvia, Italy. The project uses Virtual Reality (VR) to reconstruct and narrate the ancient ceramic production kilns of Pollentia-Urbs Salvia. The implemented activity aligns with the goals of the European Adrion TRANSFER project, ensuring a coherent and sustainable strategy for the archaeological park site. Through interdisciplinary methods, the team developed a Virtual Immersive Movie (VIM) combining detailed 3D modeling, texturing, and simulations with cinematic greenscreen footage. The virtual environment, designed for Meta Quest 3 headsets, includes both passive storytelling and active user interaction, enabling participants to explore reconstructed spaces and understand the ceramic production process. Advanced techniques in Blender and Unity ensured a realistic and engaging experience. User testing with 33 participants revealed high satisfaction rates regarding usability, visual appeal, and narrative clarity, with minimal instances of discomfort. The project sets a benchmark for integrating digital tools in cultural heritage, transforming traditional archaeological presentation into an accessible, immersive format. Future developments include expanding interactivity, incorporating gaming elements, and integrating AI-driven language models for multilingual real-time interaction, fostering inclusivity and sustainable heritage promotion.

This study investigates the application of digital replicas in Mixed Reality (MR) environments to enhance accessibility and foster engagement with archaeological heritage. The research centers on the Roman site of Forum Sempronii (Marche Region, Italy). Photogrammetry and 3D modeling techniques were employed to digitize artifacts, resulting in high-fidelity digital reconstructions. These replicas were recontextualized within their original archaeological settings, enabling a phygital experience that enhances visitors’ comprehension of the excavation and history of the site. The MR application, developed for the Meta Quest 3 headset, incorporates state-of-the-art graphics, intuitive navigational tools, and dynamic real-time lighting simulations to deliver an immersive user experience. By preserving the historical and spatial context of the artifacts, the project bridges the domains of museum conservation and archaeological interpretation. This methodological approach underscores the potential of MR to convey scientifically robust narratives while addressing the dual goals of accessibility and visitor engagement, making it suitable for diverse audiences. The framework proposed in this study serves as a replicable model for cultural heritage initiatives, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating accurate digital replicas with interactive physical settings to reinforce the connection between artifacts and their historical environments.

The paper presents a workflow aimed at documenting, disseminating, and making archaeological heritage more accessible. To preserve scientific rigour and data accuracy, also providing an emotional experience to the audience, the entire process was carried out through the collaborative efforts of three professionals: the archaeologist, the digitization expert, and the entertainment industry professional. The case study is a pre-Roman necropolis located in the “I Pini” archaeological area (Marche Region, Italy). The site presents several circular burials, one of which belongs to a female figure known as the “Queen”, which became the central focus of the narrative. The first working step was the digital documentation of a selection of the findings from the “Queen’s” tomb, currently displayed at the Antiquarium Statale of Numana, followed by the virtual reconstruction of the burial. Then, the obtained 3D models were used to generate a Virtual Immersive Movie (VIM) which allows visitors to immerse themselves in the virtual reconstruction and interact with the archaeological findings using a Head-mounted Display. The evaluation of the user experience proved the effectiveness of the VIM. The scores obtained from the questionnaire will also serve as inspiration for further enhancements, aiming to deliver a more interactive and improved educational experience.

The widespread integration of digital technologies in the field of archaeology, facilitated by increasingly powerful and economically accessible tools, is producing a profound transformation in the conventional methodologies employed by archaeologists. This contribution specifically delves into the documentation of excavation phases and artifacts, presenting a workflow tested on the tomb 27 of the Colle Vaccaro necropolis (AP) within the educational project managed by the Istituto Centrale del Restauro (ICR). The digital representation of distinct layers and artifacts, developed together with with micro-excavation and restoration operations, serves as a tool for real-time analysis and documentation. Crucially, it acts as a foundational element for constructing an information system geared towards subsequent and more comprehensive historical-archaeological analyses. The outcome of this contribution is the formulation of a semi-automatic process designed to ensure a geometrically accurate and informed three-dimensional representation. This workflow for documenting an excavation and its artifacts is designed to facilitate efficient data utilization both for scholars and professionals.

This paper presents a workflow developed thanks to the collaboration between archae- ologists and engineers, aimed at the documentation, representation and virtual fruition of an archaeological site. The purpose is to exploit the data acquired through digital solutions and the consequent elaboration of a reality 3D model to support archaeological studies and to effectively disseminate their results. The presented case study is the Roman Theatre of Ricina (Villa Potenza, MC). The building has preserved much of its masonry, but it is very different from that which could be appreciated by the audience of theatrical performances in Roman times. The work has been developed according to three steps: 1) digital documentation of the site and elaboration of a reality-based 3D model; 2) study of the archaeological finds thanks to the reality-based 3D model and design of a possible reconstruction, represented through a second 3D model elaborated by anastylosis; 3) development of a Virtual Reality environment for the fruition and the interaction with the two 3D models. The final output is therefore an immersive VR application that offers the possibility to access to the theatre both in its current form and in the original one. An experience that is not limited to a simple visualization rather presenting itself as a guided tour across the centuries.