Page 160 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

search practice. Digital twins enable a form of mains, hypothetical reconstructions), narrative
distributed heritage presence, where the archae- modules (trade, religion, daily life, and similar).
ological site exists simultaneously in situ and on- In educational contexts, the digital twin of
line (Niccolucci et al. 2022). This dual existence Osor would be used as a learning environment
supports both conservation goals and access (Kilis et al. 2025, 1; Shimoda et al. 2025, 1360).
to knowledge. However, public-facing digital Students would navigate the model, compare
twins also raise ethical and interpretive ques- historical phases, and engage in tasks. The dig-
tions. Who controls the narrative in the model? ital twin supports constructivist pedagogies by
How are local perspectives represented? What allowing learners to manipulate data and test
commercial uses are permitted? These questions hypotheses. When linked with Minecraft Ed-
show the need for governance frameworks that ucation, the twin can provide the scientific ref-
treat digital twins as cultural assets rather than erence layer for student-built reconstructions.
160 purely technical tools. Minecraft worlds can thus be based in archaeo-
logical reality, while still allowing creative explo-
The Digital Twin of Osor ration (Mørch et al. 2021; Krappala et al. 2024).
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
Osor’s archaeological richness, spatial compact- Such an approach aligns with interdisciplinary
ness, and logistical constraints make it an ide- curricula that integrate history, geography, en-
al candidate for the development of a digital vironmental studies, and digital literacy. Osor
twin. The town’s historic core can be modelled would become a case study for understanding is-
at high resolution, while its surrounding land- land societies, trade networks, and human-envi-
scape can be represented through GIS layers and ronment interaction in the northern Adriatic.
terrain models. Archaeological data from exca- On-site AR experiences can draw directly from
vations and surveys would provide the empirical the twin, overlaying reconstructions onto pres-
basis for reconstruction, while historical sourc- ent-day ruins. VR applications can transport
es supply contextual narratives. The central ra- users to different periods of Osor’s history (De
tionale for a digital twin of Osor would be ac- Bonis et al. 2022, 92). Because all applications
cessibility (Bertoldi 2021, 1444). A digital twin draw on the same underlying twin, updates in ar-
would enable access to Osor’s past for audiences chaeological interpretation can propagate across
who cannot travel to the island, including school platforms. This would ensure to avoid the frag-
groups, international learners, and persons with mentation that occurs when each digital prod-
mobility impairments. It also enables off-season uct is developed independently. It would also en-
engagement. Furthermore, a digital twin would sure that public representations remain aligned
allow Osor’s archaeological data to be mobilised with current and updated scientific research.
across multiple platforms: AR applications, VR Developing and maintaining a digital twin
experiences in museums, serious games, and Mi- requires long-term institutional collaboration
necraft Education modules. This way, the digital that clearly defines responsibilities for data cu-
twin would function as a backbone infrastruc- ration, content updates, and user access. Ideally,
ture that ensures consistency and scientific in- this framework would involve collaboration be-
tegrity across all digital outputs (Niccolucci et al. tween academic institutions, museums, local au-
2022; Shimoda et al. 2025, 1360). Based on com- thorities, and tourism boards. From a sustaina-
parative cases, digital twin of Osor should con- bility perspective, the digital twin contributes to
sist of geometric model (3D model of the town conservation by reducing pressure on physical re-
and its landscape), chronological layers (separate mains. It also supports economic sustainability
reconstructions for major periods), data annota- by generating digital heritage products that can
tions (excavation units, bibliography, radiocar- be used in education, tourism, and cultural pro-
bon dates), uncertainty encoding (excavated re- gramming (Maietti 2023).