Design of an Information System for Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Usually the information that must be managed by archaeologist for any cultural heritage artefact is very heterogeneous. Due to its spatial nature this information cannot be easily represented with conventional data management frameworks. The strong spatial dependence of data concerning the object of study makes it interesting to have a three-dimensional model of the artefact to associate the large amount of information available. This paper presents a 3D information system that has been designed to manage cultural heritage information. The system allows to associate information layer to the artefact surface, following a GIS like approach. The association of information to the surface of the object allows to find out spatial relationships between different elements, making it easier to understand this information to both specialists and general public. The paper describes the system structure and functionality.