Digital Technologies for Heritage Conservation Labs Open to the Public. The Case of the CALLOS Project.

Attempts to preserve materials and constructions of the past are not new but the scientific aspect of cultural heritage (CH) conservation has emerged during the last two centuries. Today, conservation comprises all examinations, treatments and documentation work towards the life extension of antiquities and the engagement of audiences with CH. In museums, monuments and archaeological sites, conservation laboratories open for regular activities and educational programs to raise public awareness and create connections with their knowledge and interests. Digital technologies support open labs toward holistic documentation of all methods, materials and results while improving physical and digital access to CH through dissemination, reducing the gap between sciences and visitors via interdisciplinary, multimedia, fun and ultimately beneficial ways that enrich the CH narratives for all. In Greece, the first conservation lab open to peers and the public is implemented by the joint research project CALLOS for the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens (EACA). The article will discuss how a web-based platform and a portal for the management and dissemination of knowledge will support conservation science and openness of a chief lab equipped with innovative diagnostic and conservation tailored-made equipment.