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Kick-off of the new STECCI project, turning necropoles into new opportunities

21. Sep. 2023

Social Innovation and transdisciplinary approaches for the re-use, valorisation and preservation of CH by ZSI

On the 21st-23rd of September 2023 the first project meeting was held in Sarajevo. STECCI (STone monument Ensambles and the Climate Change Impact) project aim is to produce innovative and sustainable protection strategies for cultural heritage from the climate change (CC) and consequential natural hazards, environmental pollution and anthropogenic threats.

The future of medieval tombstones (bos. Stećak., Stećci, pl.) and similar stone monuments across Europe will be assessed in the context of a changing climate. The unique shapes, ornaments, inscriptions, cultural and documentary values, and medieval roots have singled out Stećci as a tangible phenomenon included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. These monuments, densely distributed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, B&H (> 70 000), and to a lower extent in Croatia (HR), Serbia (SRB) and Montenegro (MNE) have never been subjected to a holistic evaluation that would ensure their sustainable preservation.

Fig. 1 The chosen sites align with the project’s objectives and include limestone monuments in rural, urban, coastal and remote areas and in different climate subtypes.

STECCI is a multidisciplinary project that combines conservation and conservation science, climate and environmental sciences, life sciences, social sciences, economy, creative industries, and humanities in order to overcome the challenges posed by CC in the realm of cultural heritage. STECCI will use state-of-the-art research equipment, digital technologies, and the newest approaches in social sciences, and conservation practice excellence to achieve the set objectives based on demo cases.

ZSI will have its contribution mainly in the strategy for an active engagement of a wide range of stakeholders linked to the preservation of cultural heritage (CH), the tailor-made capacity building and the co-creation of strategies and implementation concepts for sustainable cultural tourism strategies, re-use and valorisation . In this context, ZSI adapts the social lab methodology for the STECCI project using a set of agile qualitative methods and approaches from social sciences and humanities as well as from the practice-led cultural management for pilot activities. ZSI will also lead citizen science activities on behalf of STECCI project.

How it will work in four steps:

  • Climate Scenarios GIS Digital Atlas

Using the most recent IPCC AR6, two reference climate scenarios (spatial resolution of 10 x 10 km are used to develop GRIDs format) for the European continent will be developed in the form of an interactive GIS STECCI Climate Atlas, along with an air pollution impact database.

  • Preservation Guideline Developing

Assessing the degree of decay of stone sacral structures in two different reference climate scenarios for Preservation Guidelines. The systematic and scientifically based Guidelines will apply to STECCI and other limestone monuments in EU in the two climate scenarios.

  • Assessment of Monument Condition

Ultrasound pulse velocity (UPV), reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) and the Karsten tube, electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Bio deterioration will be assessed using microscopic analyses.

  • New Methodology/Cultural Heritage Impact

Development of new techniques to protect natural stones CaLoSiL® nano-lime products. This project will emphasize both shared cultural heritage values and climate environmental issues as a means of reducing and preventing social and political radicalism in a formerly war-torn region.

Project partners along with the ZSI are:

Learn more about the project:

Project website: visit here…
Project video: watch here…

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Tags: citizen science, climate change, co-creation, cultural heritage, social innovation

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