POLYHEDRA · POLY-vocal Heritage Ecosystem for Digital Representation and Analysis

Cultural Heritage (CH) landmarks are dynamic entities, continuously reshaped by societies and communities. Current Digital Twin (DT) applications often reduce them to static, hyper-technical replicas, overlooking intangible values, social dimensions, and long-term transformations. The POLYHEDRA project addresses this gap by developing the Heritage Digital Ecosystem (HDE), an open-source framework integrating archaeological data, BIM and GIS, photorealistic reconstructions, and community narratives into a single collaborative environment. Unlike existing initiatives, the HDE treats heritage as both material and social, reflecting its layered, evolving, and contested nature. The project aims to: (1) implement the HDE framework; (2) Implement interdisciplinary, archaeology-based methods for studying pluristratified scenarios; and (3) foster community engagement through participatory annotation and immersive VR interaction. The fellowship includes testing the HDE via three European case studies, training in 3D GIS, session-tracking, and behavioural analysis at Lund University’s DARKLab, and a secondment at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo (DigDok unit) to gain intersectoral experience. Communities and stakeholders will interact with the HDE through immersive VR sessions, refining guidelines for perception-based heritage research. The project will strengthen my expertise in digital archaeology, project management, grant writing, and stakeholder engagement, positioning me for future ERC applications. It produces open-access workflows, datasets, and guidelines, advancing digital archaeology, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cost-effective, scalable solutions. Beyond academia, the HDE will support policymakers, site managers, and local communities with innovative tools to anticipate heritage transformations, inform decisions, and reinforce identity and resilience, setting a new standard for participatory and future-oriented digital heritage practices.