Project description
A living digital twin for cultural heritage
Current digital twin approaches to cultural heritage often treat landmarks as static and overly technical models, overlooking their social meaning, community narratives and long-term evolution. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the POLYHEDRA project is developing a digital ecosystem that brings together archaeological data, building information modelling and geographic information systems models, as well as photorealistic reconstructions and community-generated narratives in a single open-source workflow Project work will treat heritage sites as dynamic and layered systems shaped by both material structures and social interpretations. It will use virtual reality-based engagement and community annotation to test the system. Overall, POLYHEDRA will help researchers, policymakers and communities manage and preserve cultural heritage in a changing world.
Objective
Cultural Heritage (CH) landmarks are dynamic entities, continuously reshaped by societies and communities. Current Digital Twin (DT) applications often reduce them to static, hyper-technical replicas, overlooking intangible values, social dimensions, and long-term transformations. The POLYHEDRA project addresses this gap by developing the Heritage Digital Ecosystem (HDE), an open-source framework integrating archaeological data, BIM and GIS, photorealistic reconstructions, and community narratives into a single collaborative environment. Unlike existing initiatives, the HDE treats heritage as both material and social, reflecting its layered, evolving, and contested nature. The project aims to: (1) implement the HDE framework; (2) Implement interdisciplinary, archaeology-based methods for studying pluristratified scenarios; and (3) foster community engagement through participatory annotation and immersive VR interaction. The fellowship includes testing the HDE via three European case studies, training in 3D GIS, session-tracking, and behavioural analysis at Lund University’s DARKLab, and a secondment at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo (DigDok unit) to gain intersectoral experience. Communities and stakeholders will interact with the HDE through immersive VR sessions, refining guidelines for perception-based heritage research. The project will strengthen my expertise in digital archaeology, project management, grant writing, and stakeholder engagement, positioning me for future ERC applications. It produces open-access workflows, datasets, and guidelines, advancing digital archaeology, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cost-effective, scalable solutions. Beyond academia, the HDE will support policymakers, site managers, and local communities with innovative tools to anticipate heritage transformations, inform decisions, and reinforce identity and resilience, setting a new standard for participatory and future-oriented digital heritage practices.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences physical geography cartography geographic information systems
- humanities history and archaeology archaeology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
22100 Lund
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.