Journal article
From ruins to records: digital strategies and dilemmas in cultural heritage protection
- Abstract:
- This article examines the critical role of digital data in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage, particularly in contexts of armed conflict, climate change, natural hazards, and other human-induced threats. It explores how digital tools—such as remote sensing, open-source platforms, and 3D reconstruction—support risk preparedness, response, post-disaster recovery, and forensic documentation. Data management systems are central to risk mitigation efforts, enabling effective monitoring, assessment, and reconstruction of cultural heritage. Yet, the article also highlights significant challenges related to access, data sovereignty, intellectual property rights, and the equitable distribution of benefits— especially in the Global South. These efforts are further complicated by technical limitations, political constraints, and the persistent digital divide between the Global North and South. Ethical concerns surrounding digital heritage management—such as questions of control, decontextualisation, and the potential for digital colonialism—are critically examined. Drawing on case studies from the Global South and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the article sheds light on the complex intersections of conflict, climate change, and digital technologies in heritage preservation. It advocates for more inclusive, collaborative approaches to data management and for context-sensitive strategies that align technological innovation with principles of justice, equity, and human rights—ensuring that digital tools empower local communities rather than reinforce existing inequalities.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Authors
- Publisher:
- ARCA Publications
- Journal:
- Journal of Art Crime More from this journal
- Volume:
- 2025
- Issue:
- 33
- Pages:
- 51-63
- Publication date:
- 2025-06-20
- Acceptance date:
- 2025-05-01
- EISSN:
-
1947-5934
- ISSN:
-
1947-5926
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
2134423
- Local pid:
-
pubs:2134423
- Deposit date:
-
2025-07-08
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Association for Research into Crimes against Art
- Copyright date:
- 2025
- Rights statement:
- © 2025 Association for Research into Crimes against Art (ARCA).
- Notes:
- The author accepted manuscript (AAM) of this paper has been made available under the University of Oxford's Open Access Publications Policy, and a CC BY public copyright licence has been applied.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record