The measures of the conservation of cultural heritage can be separated into two domains that are linked with tangible and intangible cultural heritage respectively. Focusing on traditional craftsmanship, as empha-sized within the guidelines for the establishment of national Living Hu-man Treasures System and UNESCO 2003 Convention, “transmission”,
“documentation”, “revitalization” and “promotion” are highly accentuated as the measures for a sustainable safeguarding. While these measures are reconsidered within the holistic approach of the study, both tangible and intangible values of the craftsmanship need to be evaluated to develop specific conservation measures. The study tries to investigate the effects of digital technology on the conservation measures of the different aspects of craftsmanship.
The developments in technology during the last decades have deeply af-fected the domain of cultural heritage, specifically in museums and ar-chaeological sites (Tabone, 2019, 47). Since 1990’s digital technology has made remarkable achievements in the conservation of cultural herit-age (Zhou, Geng & Wu, 2012,5). Considering the safeguarding measures, namely, “transmission”, “documentation”, “revitalization” and “promotion”
as mentioned above, digital technology contributes to all of these conser-vation measures. Particularly focusing on traditional craftsmanship as the main theme of this study, both the tangible and intangible values of crafts-manship can be documented and taught accurately with the integration of digital technology into the safeguarding measures.
Zhou, Geng and Wu, (2012, 4) divide the digitalization technologies used for cultural heritage conservation in five groups:
(1)integrated storage and access techniques, (2) categorization and digital archives of cultural heritage, and digital techniques to build cultural resource databases (3) virtual museums, virtual recon-struction and rehabilitation of cultural relics, digital simulation and visualization technology of the cultural spaces and procedures (4) the technology to recreate the lifestyle, practice, consumption, cur-rency, transmission and the continuity of the traditional craftsman-ship, (5) the pattern and technology to display and the transmit the digital cultural heritag”.
From these digitalization technologies, the first two ones are especial-ly significant for the inventory and documentation of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The third one is a digitalization technolo-gy which is related particularly to the revitalization of both tangible and intangible heritage aspects in museum context. The fourth one makes it clear that the digitalization technology contributes especially to the revi-talization of intangible cultural heritage. Digital technology also facilitates displaying and transmitting the digitally documented cultural heritage.
Digital technology and the holistic conservation of traditional craftsmanship
As regards its effects on tangible and intangible cultural heritage, digi-tal technology can be divided in three main groups described as follows by Zhou, Geng and Wu (2012, 8) (Figure 4): “digital information acquisi-tion and processing technology, informaacquisi-tion databases and digital exhi-bition platform, virtual representation technology to restore cultural her-itage. The study at hand evaluates the different aspects of digital technol-ogy in the context of conservation measures determined for the different
aspects of traditional craftsmanship. As described above, these measures are transmission, documentation, revitalization and promotion, intro-duced within the UNESCO Convention and guidelines (Figure 5).
Traditional technologies used for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage are mainly written text, audio recording, video, and photography. These have been used considerably for documenting and conserving the intan-gible values of traditional craftsmanship a long time. Video and photog-raphy have also been used for the documentation of tangible heritage and the tangible aspects of traditional craftsmanship. But, because of the de-terioration of video and tape recordings over time, a long-term preserva-tion of the recordings has not been possible. By means of digital technolo-gy, both tangible and intangible aspects of traditional craftsmanship can be easily preserved within information databases.
Information databases and digital exhibition possibilities have emerged as a digital museum approach integrating many kinds of intangible cultural heritage elements using the new technology such as multimedia integra-tion, digital photography, and virtual reality (Zhou, Geng & Wu, 2012, 8).
Especially extended reality technologies, specifically augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality technologies enable to make cultural her-itage digitally accessible anywhere. Extended reality technologies provide to create environments including real and virtual and human-machine in-teractions generated by computer technology within museums. Extended reality technologies have been utilized in the domain of cultural heritage for education, exhibition, the reconstruction of lost experiences, virtual museums, and explorations (Tabone, 2019, 48–49).
The digital museum approach also facilitates the documentation and pro-motion of tangible values of the cultural heritage. Focusing on traditional craftsmanship, the documentation of techniques, skills, knowledge, tools, and craftsmanship of the craftsmen together with building elements, ar-chitectural elements and decorative elements helps to conserve them holis-tically. Especially for the intangible aspects of craftsmanship, digital tech-nology helps to document and revitalize them accurately.
Virtual representation technology is especially significant for revitalizing intangible cultural heritage alongside the comprehension of the tangible values of the cultural heritage. It allows to understand and reproduce the original integrity of the relations between tangible and intangible values within each context . Considering traditional craftsmanship, this technol-ogy helps to explain the production process of craftsmen, the transmission process of knowledge between master and apprentices by reproducing it realistically. In this sense, digital museums present specific contexts em-bodying the holistic conservation of tangible and intangible cultural herit-age with the use of text, recording, imherit-age, video, and virtual reality.
Figure 4. Technologies used in conservation developed following Zhou, Geng and Wu’s approach (2012) by the author.
Figure 5. Relationship between technology and the conservation of traditional craftsmanship.
Technology and the transmission-education of traditional craftsmanship
Transmission as a safeguarding measure for intangible cultural heritage means the transfer to future generations of the practitioners’ knowledge of different elements of intangible cultural heritage. Particularly focus-ing on traditional craftsmanship, transmission is related to the transfer of knowledge, skills and know-how between master and apprentices for the continuity of craftsmanship. Education, both formal and non-formal, has a significant role in the transmission process of traditional craftsmanship.
Technology emerges here as an educational tool for the transfer of knowl-edge. Using online learning resources and creating virtual context for re-vitalizing the original working environment of craftsmen can help to un-derstand the know-how and methods used by craftsmen in the past.
Museums are appropriate places for public education to promote the sus-tainability of intangible cultural heritage utilizing digital technologies (Kim, Im, Lee & Choi, 2019, 6). The application of digital technologies in museums enriches visitor’s museum experience allowing hands-on expe-rience and enhances interactivity in museums contributing to the edu-cation of cultural heritage (ibid. 6). Especially the use of VR technology with a head-mounted device to immerse into virtual reality contributes to active participation of visitors and educational effect of museums (ibid., 9). VR technology is also used for training and education of various ele-ments of traditional craftsmanship, since it makes possible active partic-ipation of users through the craft production process in virtual environ-ment (ibid., 14).
When living building masters perform their traditions, skills and crafts-manship within museums or educational institutions, visitors or appren-tices learn from them the process of production. On the other hand, espe-cially for the disappearing craftmanship, using the participatory methods hand in hand with technologies as a learning tool provides a more direct interaction in terms of learning and transmission for researchers, appren-tices and people to understand the knowledge of craftsmen. Actually it is thought that modern technologies cannot replace human interaction in the transmission of intangible heritage, even though they can contribute to the processes of dissemination among young generations (Alivizatou-Barakou et al., 2017, 6). Playful learning technologies appeals to students’
curiosity and willingness to learn the different elements of cultural herit-age. The use of mixed reality technologies also encourages the interaction with the cultural heritage elements improving the visitor’s experience. Vir-tual elements such as “guide maps, descriptions or virVir-tual-human char-acters” support the users in visualizing and exploring heritage elements and provide new knowledge (Tabone, 2019, 49). These virtual elements al-so facilitate the reconstruction of historic collapsed or ruined buildings , and enable to visualize and interact with the reconstructed views of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage (Tabone, 2019, 50; Cosmas et.al., 2003). They also allow users to obtain information about the construction
the exploration.
Figure. 6. Digital technologies used in Archeoguide project (Source: Brizard, Derde, Silberman, 2007, 7)
Technology and the documentation of traditional craftsmanship Documentation as a significant safeguarding measure needs to be car-ried out for both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, even though each requires using different methodologies. In the case of the tradition-al craftsmanship embodied in architecture, the documentation of tangible features can be done by using architectural documentation methodologies.
On the other hand, the documentation of the intangible values, like the techniques, skills and know-how of the craftsmen, can be carried out by using ethnographic research methods and photographic and audio-video documentation (Karakul, 2011, Alivizatou-Barakou et al., 2017). The docu-mentation of the intangible aspects of traditional craftsmanship also ben-efits greatly from new technologies to get across the process of production with the used techniques, methods, tools and know-how of the craftsmen.
The documentation of the intangible values of traditional craftsmanship necessitates to deeply understand the production process of craftsmen.
To understand and document the process of production accurately, virtu-al revirtu-ality technologies facilitate the reproduction of traditionvirtu-al craftsman-ship with regard to the working process of craftsmen, the use of materials, techniques and tools, their know-how and skills realistically (Zhou, Geng
& Wu, 2012, 12).
Digital technologies can be used in museum exhibitions to increase the ac-cessibility of intangible cultural heritage and thus to contribute to the pub-lic understanding of the elements of it. They enable three dimensional and realistic experiences in which the users can feel and interact with multiple senses (Kim et. al., 2019, 2). Considering traditional craftsmanship, digi-tal museum can contribute to all conservation measures by providing the
revitalization of the original environment of the working process of crafts-men and the construction process of historic buildings. Digital museum can include the different elements of traditional craftsmanship as to the process of production with the help of new technologies, such as multi-media integration, digital photography and virtual reality (Zhou, Geng &
Wu 2012, 10). Besides, virtual museums simulate physical museums and cultural heritage sites with their tangible and intangible elements (Tabo-ne, 2019, 51).
On the other hand, for the revitalization of the tangible values of crafts-manship embodied within the ruined historic buildings, digital technol-ogies provide new possibilities using different ways of exhibiting. The re-construction of historic buildings including expressing the original con-text and the characteristics of the building and the different craftsman-ship embodied within can easily be made by using digital technologies (Ta-bone, 2019, 51). Digital photography and 3D scanning facilitate the docu-mentation of architectural complexes, buildings, and their tangible fea-tures, like the architectural ornaments, structural systems, and construc-tion techniques by craftsmen.
As mentioned before, the holistic conservation approach of this study ne-cessitates the evaluation of the information about tangible and intangi-ble values obtained by using different methodologies together. The digital technology plays a critical role in this elaborate evaluation of information obtained by using different methodologies together to develop the accurate and holistic conservation approaches. In the evaluation of the documen-tation of the different aspects of traditional craftsmanship, virtual reality technologies and multimedia can be used effectively.
The digital technology also facilitates online archives and databases as a part of national inventories, raising awareness of the importance of tra-ditional craftsmanship among local communities. They may contain pho-tographic and audio-visual documentation and use participatory and in-teractive tools to give experience of the implementation process of crafts.
Technology and the revitalization of traditional craftsmanship Revitalization is especially significant conservation measure for the dis-appearing and radically changing elements of intangible cultural heritage.
The critical issue in revitalization is to conserve and sustain the genuine qualities of the relationships between the tangible and intangible values of the heritage element. New technology can contribute to the revitaliza-tion of both kind of values of craftsmanship by using multimedia integra-tion, digital museum and virtual representation technology.
Considering the revitalization of the tangible values of craftsmanship, the digital reconstructions of historic buildings can benefit of 3D modeling displaying the construction techniques and the materials used by build-ing masters. Since the 1990s, the digital reconstructions of archaeological remains have been used to regenerate the historic buildings within their original context virtually. A digital reconstruction made at the archaeolog-ical site of Ename in Belgium is one of the first digital applications com-bining live video with overlaid 3D reconstructions to allow viewers to un-derstand the history of the site (Brizard, Derde & Silberman, 2007, 13).
Figure 7. Digital reconstruction at the archeological site of Ename (Brizard, Derde & Silberman, 2007, 3)
The revitalization of the intangible values of traditional craftsmanship can be achieved by using digital virtual reality technologies such as mul-timedia virtual scene modeling and virtual scene coordination display, through which the production process of craftsmen and transmission of their know-how can be accessed(Zhou, Geng & Wu, 2012, 10). 3D visual-ization technology, specifically, motion capture technologies can be used for the detailed documentation of hand and finger movement during the creation process of craftsmen (Alivizatou-Barakou et al., 2017, 23). Digital museum can also contribute to the revitalization of the different aspects of traditional craftsmanship with the help of technologies, such as multi-media integration, digital photography, and virtual reality (Zhou, Geng &
Wu, 2012, 10).
Particularly, VR technology facilitates the revitalization of traditional craftsmanship as regards master-apprentice relations in virtual environ-ment providing active participation of users to the construction process of traditional buildings. The users can follow building master’s guidelines to make building materials using hand controllers and choose an option
among different activities in construction process to practice (Kim et al., 2019, 14).
With regard to the documentation and revitalization of the tangible ele-ments of architecture and traditional craftsmanship, such as architectural elements, decorative elements, digital technology, specifically virtual rep-resentation technology, can contribute to the reproduction and promotion of a destroyed building, like a temple (Zhou et al., 2017, 19).
Technology and the promotion of traditional craftsmanship
Promotion as a significant safeguarding measure for both tangible and in-tangible cultural heritage aims to raise awareness about the values of cul-tural heritage. Focusing on the promotion of traditional craftsmanship as a branch of intangible cultural heritage, it is recommended to ensure public awareness about its safeguarding by (1) regularly organizing per-formances, demonstrations, exhibitions; (2) enabling research and pub-lishing of printed, audio, video and multi-media documents related to the traditional craftsmanship and its bearers; and (3) integrating traditional craftsmanship into educational curricula. Digital technology can be used in exhibitions and museums to provide different ways of exhibiting, for ex-ample by using multimedia creating a virtual reality environment to raise awareness of tangible and intangible aspects of craftsmanship. It also con-tributes to the preparation of research and publishing of the documents re-lated to craftsmanship and developing educational understanding of the traditional craftsmanship.