Digital knowledge system for complex archaeological and industrial heritage. Methodological approaches and innovative technologies

The preservation of architectural heritage involves complex processes of knowledge production that are deeply shaped by the nature of historical assets themselves. As enduring elements of the built environment, these assets embody layered meanings and developmental potential, and their value systems play a significant role in sustaining socio-economic and cultural dynamics, particularly in recovery and valorisation processes. Yet existing methodologies only partially address the challenges posed by stratified sites, where fragmented data, incompatible disciplinary languages, and the absence of shared semantic structures limit both interpretation and interoperability. Critical reflection on methods of knowledge acquisition and formalisation increasingly calls for the integration of new investigative approaches and digital technologies. This volume investigates the development of a diachronic digital approach to stratified archaeology in the Roman area, examining the long-term evolution of territorial identity and the relationships between industrial archaeology and other archaeological domains, conceived as intertwined components of a complex and layered landscape. Industrial heritage is not treated here as an isolated category, but as one dimension of a broader historical system in which architectural, productive, territorial, and social processes are deeply interconnected. An integrated digital workflow for heritage knowledge representation and management is proposed, leading to the development of a prototype information system that combines geometric models with structured semantic data. The system incorporates fuzzy extensions and rule-based reasoning to handle interpretative uncertainty, and enables access through both computational and natural language interfaces, supporting the identification and interpretation of tangible and intangible heritage dimensions and contributing to the formulation of value judgements in heritage intervention processes. The approach is applied to the case study of Tivoli, where its potential to address current methodological limitations is assessed. The volume contributes to advancing existing methodologies through the integration of information modelling, semantic ontologies, and generative artificial intelligence, establishing a foundation for further developments in digital approaches to architectural heritage.