Publications
Developing climate risk assessments for World Heritage: the Climate Vulnerability Index
A novel Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) has been successfully applied to assess climate risks at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, offering a structured approach to evaluate threats and inform conservation strategies. The CVI was first piloted in 2018 at Shark Bay, Australia, and later adapted for cultural sites, including the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, Scotland, with additional workshops conducted in Edinburgh in 2021. This study demonstrates that the CVI framework can effectively identify vulnerabilities across different types of World Heritage properties, providing actionable insights for stakeholders. The approach combines expert assessments with quantitative metrics to prioritize risks and guide adaptive management, marking a significant advancement in climate risk assessment methodologies for heritage conservation.
Absence, Presence, Indexicality: The Mise en Scène of ‘the Heart of Neolithic Orkney’
The Ring of Brodgar stone circle and associated Neolithic sites evoke a dynamic, hauntological experience for visitors, characterized by a tension between perceived presence and absence. This study reveals that the site's mise en scène, akin to surrealist frottage or a photograph, indexically represents an unknowable past while simultaneously soliciting imaginative engagement with heterochronia—simultaneous yet incompatible manifestations of time and space—and metatheatre, hinting at cryptic ritual performances. The research draws on surrealist theory, Robert Smithson's concepts, and semiotic analysis to argue that visitors' responses are shaped by this dialectical tension, where the imaginary blurs with the real, as described by Breton. The approach combines archaeological interpretation with performance studies to explore how these sites provoke a sense of presence despite their enigmatic nature.
3D Documentation of Global Historic Sites: The ‘Scottish Ten’ Project and Its Applications for Cultural Heritage
Advanced 3D documentation techniques, including terrestrial laser scanning and aerial LiDAR, are transforming the study of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The 'Scottish Ten' project demonstrates their application at the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, revealing unprecedented details of Skara Brae and Maeshowe. By combining high-resolution photography, digital photogrammetry, and GPS, researchers generate precise survey records that enable deeper analysis, conservation monitoring, and visualization. Early findings highlight the potential for these methods to enhance cultural heritage management and interpretation, offering a scalable model for global historic sites.
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