Cultural content of lighting for the discovery of archaeological heritage

Abstract

Archaeological sites, built landscapes of the past, represent the identity heritage for future generations. The aim of this article is to investigate and demonstrate the importance of the cultural identity reinforcement, which can be achieved by enhancing the historical heritage through the use of artificial lighting. The charm of an archaeological site or a monument comes from the perception of its whole environmental context, both for the functional lighting and the enhancement of the artistic and monumental. Light can turn into concrete matter both in interiors, in archaeological and urban spaces: combining innovative technologies, artificial light can be used to change the world, to shape cities, as well as architecture and space in general. The emphasis must be on what should be the most effective lighting system for the archaeological sites, one respecting the ruins and the authenticity of the landscape, while at the same time bringing out their architectural, historical and symbolic significance: the light, which is emotion, suggestion, evocation can support the experience of every single visitor. There is the possibility to obtain a recovery of memory and identity of a city, in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness of the results. The choice of sites presented in this paper is derived from the author’s doctoral research, through own direct study and experience, specifically dedicated to indoor and outdoor archaeological sites, according to an experimental view of strategic projects that aim to recover the ancient built environment.