Visual Archaeology – “Ri-costruire le immagini del passato”

One of the central themes of my research inDigital Archaeologyis the use of digital technologies to improve the documentation, visualization, and public dissemination of archaeological knowledge. The exhibition“Visual Archaeology –Ri-costruire le immagini del passato”was held at theMuseo dell’Arte Classica (Cast Collection)of Sapienza University of Rome starting in October 2018 and was co-funded by Sapienza University and the Museo dell’Arte Classica. The project aimed to explore the evolution of visualisation techniques in archaeology, tracing a path from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Visual Archaeology presented a dialogue between historical and contemporary technologies used to study and communicate archaeological evidence. Visitors could follow the development of visual tools—from glass slides and early projection devices to modern techniques such as3D modelling, photogrammetry, video mapping, and 3D printing.

The Museum Context

The Museo dell’Arte Classica hosts an extensive collection of plaster casts of ancient sculptures, alongside historical archives of photographs and slides. It also preserves a lesser-known collection of sulphur casts of coins. These materials document the methods used in archaeological research and teaching between the late nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century. Despite their historical importance, many of these collections had remained largely unknown outside specialist circles. The exhibition was therefore conceived as a way to bring these materials back into public visibility while highlighting the technological evolution of archaeological research and education.

Concept and Objectives

The exhibition aimed to emphasise theinterdisciplinary nature of archaeology, a field that has always combined humanistic research with technical and scientific methodologies. By presenting both historical and digital visualisation tools, the project illustrated how technological developments influence the way archaeology is studied, taught, and communicated. The main objective was to demonstrate how teaching and research tools—from plaster casts to digital models—reflect the methodological evolution of the discipline.

Exhibition Design

The exhibition consisted of approximatelyten thematic stations, each combining historical artefacts with modern digital visualisations. Each station paired traditional visualisation tools with their contemporary counterparts, creating a dialogue between past and present methods of archaeological documentation and representation.

Examples included:

• plaster casts of ancient coins displayed alongside3D printed reconstructions

• plaster casts of the decorative elements of theArch of Septimius Severuspaired with adigital 3D reconstruction of the monument

• a3D printed scale model of the Parthenonpresented together with plaster casts of its decorative friezes

• the restoration and functioning of anineteenth-century wooden slide projector, used to display historical slides

• photogrammetric reconstructionsof funerary reliefs and sculptures, including digital colour reconstructions projected onto plaster casts

• comparative displays illustrating the transition fromplaster reproduction techniques to modern digital replication and 3D printing

Audience and Outreach

The exhibition was designed primarily for anon-specialist audience, while still providing meaningful insights for scholars and students. By combining historical materials with digital reconstructions and immersive visualisations, the exhibition offered an accessible and engaging narrative on the development of visual methodologies in archaeology. The project also highlighted how technologies such as3D modelling and digital reconstruction, now widely used in fields ranging from engineering to medicine, are transforming research and communication in cultural heritage studies.

Collaboration and Production

The project involved collaboration with3D ArcheoLab, which provided technical support for the production of several 3D printed models and the wine companyContini 1898, that provided the catering. The exhibition was developed by a multidisciplinary team including archaeologists and digital specialists:

• Matteo Lombardi– project lead, exhibition design and 3D content creation

• Luca Contrafatto– project co-coordinator

• Sebastiano Maltese– project lead and exhibition design

Several students from the Faculty of Humanities at Sapienza University also contributed as exhibition guides, helping visitors explore the collections and better understand the historical and archaeological context of the works on display. The exhibition aimed to highlight theinterdisciplinary nature of archaeology, showing how technological innovation continues to reshape both research methods and public engagement in the field of cultural heritage.

TheParthenon’s 3D reconstructioncan be seenhere.