Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the Ancient City of Byblos: A new direction for the communication of intangible heritage

This presentation deals with new methodological experiments that will enable us to define and validate new orientations in the way we understand, structure and transfer acquired knowledge about a given monumental complex. The goal, therefore, is to test various hypotheses regarding methods of interpreting of heritage spaces using information and communication technologies. More specifically, this involves, through computer modelling, gaining an understanding of the possibilities to: (1) analyze how a heritage complex is an architectural transposition of cultural values deeply rooted in the society that created it; (2) study how the layout of the spaces and the decorative program of the monuments are a function of the manner in which they are used and the evolution of mentalities; (3) understand the consequences of successive occupations of an archaeological site on its current condition, based on archaeologists accurate documentation; (4) gain a better understanding of the construction techniques and know-how of the Ancients; (5) perform computer modelling that show the site s evolution over the centuries in order to help us understand the superposition of historic layers and suggest periods to which to apply the research proposal might be applied. These experiments draw on the expertise of the Computer Aided Design Research Group (GRCAO) of the University of Montreal which brings together researchers in the fields of architecture and preservation of the man- made environment, history, communications, and information technologies.