This article investigates the use of 3D immersive virtual environments and 3D prints for interaction with past material culture over traditional observation without manipulation. Our work is motivated by studies in heritage, museum, and cognitive sciences indicating the importance of object manipulation for understanding present and ancient artifacts. While virtual immersive environments and 3D prints have started to be incorporated in heritage research and museum displays as a way to provide improved manipulation experiences, little is known about how these new technologies affect the perception of our past. This article provides first results obtained with three experiments designed to investigate the benefits and tradeoffs in using these technologies. Our results indicate that traditional museum displays limit the experience with past material culture, and reveal how our sample of participants favor tactile and immersive 3D virtual experiences with artifacts over visual non-manipulative experiences with authentic objects.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2015.04.00

This paper describes the work undertaken as part of the ‘Digital Documentation of Ksar Said’ Project. This project, funded by the British Council, combined education, history, and heritage for the digital preservation of tangible and intangible aspects of heritage associated with the 19^th century Said Palace (Ksar Said) in Tunis. We produced an interactive 3D model of Ksar Said and developed learning resources to build Tunisian students’ critical engagement with their heritage through inquiry learning activities within the 3D model. We used a user-centred approach, based on pre-assessment (i.e., co-creation of contents), mid-term evaluation (i.e., feedback on contents and preliminary design of virtual activities), and post-assessment design (i.e., user trial). Our results demonstrate the potential of this novel approach to virtual learning and inform future co-design, evaluation and implementation choices for improving the generative power of three dimensional virtual replication of heritage sites in the cultural heritage sector.

In this paper, we present two experiments designed to compare 2D digital pictures and 3D digital replicas of artifacts, to understand how differently these media facilitate the perception and understanding of our past. Archeologists and museum experts have commonly used 2D digital pictures to preserve and study artifacts. Recently, these scholars have also started to use 3D digital archives for their studies. Yet, we still need to determine how these two formats (2D vs. 3D) affect the perception of our past. Results of our experiments point to 3D digital replicas of artifacts as more effective means to digitally preserve tangible cultural heritage, since 3D multi-visualization augments the perception of physical characteristics of the artifacts allowing a more embodied experience with these objects. Our experiments also suggest that multi-visualization (i.e., point-cloud, mesh, and color information) helps the viewers to overcome their personal conceptualization of specific objects.

In this article, we discuss the experimental application of iterative co-design, community-based and place-centred approaches in the creation of 3D immersive experiences of places that have been badly damaged or destroyed after natural catastrophic events. We take as our case study the community of Senerchia, hit and partially destroyed by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake in Italy. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse and discuss the co-creation process we undertook with residents of the town for the making of an immersive documentary Italia Terremotata which explores life before, during and after the earthquake. Our approach is based on design-thinking and aims to define an ethical framework for the creation of reflexive and multi-vocal 3D immersive storytelling systems that consider ‘vulnerability’ and ‘empathy’ as central design values of the iterative prototyping and co-creation cycle.

Disasters disrupt not only physical environments but also socio-cultural identities and sense of place. This study explores the role of Virtual Reality (VR) in post-disaster recovery, focusing on the earthquake-affected towns of Amatrice and Accumoli, Italy. Using a techno-ethnographic methodology, we integrated video interviews, 3D digital reconstruction, and co-creation to examine how immersive technologies facilitate emotional reconnection and community resilience. Findings suggest that VR environments can serve as spaces for mourning and re-familiarisation, helping individuals reconnect with lost surroundings. Multi-sensory elements (i.e. lighting, soundscapes, and everyday material details) proved crucial in fostering virtual place attachment. Intergenerational use of VR supported memory transmission, as younger community members relied on elders to interpret pre-disaster environments. However, trauma sensitivity remains essential, underscoring the value of community-centred, iterative design. This study contributes to digital heritage research by showing how VR can go beyond documentation, supporting storytelling and story-sharing, memory work, restauration of sense of place, and resilience-building, while calling for further study of its long-term impacts.