Scientific trajectories
My research focuses on theintersection of archaeology, digital technologies, and digital heritage, with a particular emphasis on 3D data, semantic modelling, and their role in transforming how heritage is documented, interpreted, and experienced.
I work on the development of open and interoperable 3D workflows that integrate archaeological data, BIM structures, and archival sources within semantic environments, including methods based on photogrammetry and advanced 3D reconstruction. The goal is to move beyond simple documentation and explore 3D data as a research infrastructure capable of supporting interpretation, analysis, and dissemination across disciplines, particularly in the field ofarchaeological visualisation.
A central theme of my work is the concept ofDigital Heritage Ecosystems, where heterogeneous datasets—such as reality-based 3D models, stratigraphic information, and virtual reconstructions—are connected through semantic frameworks and knowledge graphs. These environments allow users to navigate diachronic landscapes, combining scientific research with interpretative and public-facing applications.
Alongside methodological development, I investigate the relationship betweenspace, perception, and cultural meaning. By integrating approaches from archaeology, social sciences, and digital modelling, I explore how landscapes function not only as physical remains but also as cultural and emotional constructs (“mindscapes”) that shape identity, memory, and place attachment.
My research ultimately aims to bridge the gap between data capture, analysis, and communication, promotingsustainable, accessible, and reusable practices within digital heritage. Through this approach, 3D technologies become not only tools for archaeological visualization and documentation, but also environments for knowledge production and cultural engagement.

Selected pubblications
2025
Lombardi, M., Rega, M.F., Bellelli, V., Frontoni R., Tomassetti, MC., Ferdani, D., Bringing Light into the Darkness: Integrating Light Painting and 3D Recording for the Documentation of the Hypogean Tomba dell’Orco, Tarquinia, Applied Science, 15, no. 23: 12463, 2025
2025
Lombardi, M., Dubbini, R., From Earth to Interface: Towards a 3D Semantic Virtual Stratigraphy of the Funerary Ara of Ofilius Ianuarius from the Via Appia Antica 39 Burial Complex, Heritage, Heritage 8, no. 8: 305, 2025
2025
Ronchi ,D., Di Virgilio, E., Mele, S., Lombardi, M., Ferdani, D., Dininno, D., Outside the Wall: some applications of TagLab for AI semantic segmentation in archaeological practice in Digital Heritage 2025 – proceedings of the 4th International Congress & Expo, 2025
2025
Ronchi ,D., Lombardi, M., Gregori, GL., Di Mario, F., Di Virgilio, E., De Spagnolis, M., Il teatro romano di Terracina, Archeologia Classica, 76, n.s. II, 15, 2025, pp. 373-438
2024
Lombardi, M., Rizzi, D., Semantic Modelling and HBIM: a new multidisciplinary workflow for Archaeological Heritage, Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 32, 2024
2023
Lombardi M., A Landscape Matrix: the EM tools and the via Appia, in Proceedings of the 2022 IMEKO TC4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2023
2023
Lombardi, M. Sustainability of 3D Heritage data: life cycle and impacts. Archeologia e Calcolatori, 34.2, 2023
2023
Lombardi, M. “Eredità Culturali, Comunità Locali e Paesaggio” in Dubbini, R., Fiano, F.R., Lombardi, M., Rizzo, E., Clementi, J., Turchetta, F. (2023). “Laboratorio archeologico via Appia antica 39. Un paesaggio di confine tra la città e il suburbio di Roma”. Bollettino di Archeologia online 14 (1): 305–31.