This thesis provides a philosophical discussion of the implementation of virtual and augmented reality in the cultural heritage sector. In particular, the paper critically investigates the ways in...Show moreThis thesis provides a philosophical discussion of the implementation of virtual and augmented reality in the cultural heritage sector. In particular, the paper critically investigates the ways in which digital technologies attempt to simulate and approximate materiality.Show less
Understanding the provenance of the ceramics is crucial for outlining how people interacted with the landscape and ascertaining the extent of trade connection or distance from the raw clay sources....Show moreUnderstanding the provenance of the ceramics is crucial for outlining how people interacted with the landscape and ascertaining the extent of trade connection or distance from the raw clay sources. The main question pursued in this research was to reconstruct the human-landscape interaction through the appreciation and integration of technological and provenance data on ancient ceramics and clay materials recovered at the Mayales Subbasin (Chontales, Nicaragua) with a particular focus on the largest site in the area, Aguas Buenas. Aguas Buenas (AD 500-1522) is agglomeration with 379 human-made mounds of circular shape and arranged in circular patterns. This study provides the results of the first clay survey and ethnographic investigation of the area, developed together with archaeometrical analyses of clay and ceramic materials. The elaboration of the compositional analysis produced substantial geological information and divided the valley into distinct geological compositional groups, improving the limited geological knowledge that was available. Furthermore, the soil samples retrieved in this research are stored and preserved at the Faculty of Archaeology (Leiden University), constituting the first comprehensive clay reference collection throughout Nicaragua. The methodological framework employed and the combination of the petrographic and compositional (p-XRF) analysis of ceramic materials with the clay samples generate information to support a number of hypotheses about the nature of Aguas Buenas and its role among the other communities of Mayales Subbasin. Therefore, several ideas for clay procurement drawing on the cultural ecology perspective, functionalist approach, and sociocultural interpretations are discussed and applied in the research, which provides a solid framework of investigation that can be employed in the future to carry out a more detailed and extensive study on the Mayales Subbasin, or elsewhere.Show less
Museum architecture has been a complex but fruitful area in the museum studies. The contribution of the architectural qualities in the museological experience has been less researched even though...Show moreMuseum architecture has been a complex but fruitful area in the museum studies. The contribution of the architectural qualities in the museological experience has been less researched even though museums of extraordinary design have been an emblem in the cities, responsible of the social and economic change. This thesis aims to explore the physical aspects of the museum building and its qualities not as a static form but as an actor in visitor experience that is implicated in various relationships. In addition to this, the next step of the research will be the multisensory experience that architecture provides in a museum visit. The Museum of European and Mediterranean civilization in Marseilles will be used as the case study in order to acquire an in depth understanding of the design thinking, as a forceful piece of architecture which generates emotional, sensory and critical impact.Show less
