Piraye Hacigüzeller tenure track asst. professor

Research Piraye Hacigüzeller

Research team

Expertise

I am trained as an archaeologist and civil engineer. My research interests in archaeology and heritage studies broadly encompass: - formal (mainly semantic) information modeling - the critique and revision of data models and algorithms sustaining (automatic) data retrieval and machine learning applications - human-environment interactions in the context of the Anthropocene and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age archaeology - cartographic theory - spatial statistics.

Hearing the Past: Reconstructing the Aural Heritage of Antwerp in the 19th Century 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2028

Abstract

This project aims to advance the theoretical landscape in historical studies and spatial humanities, emphasising the embodied experience of urban spaces. We propose an innovative methodological path for the revival of soundscapes in historical contexts, with a specific focus on the sonic history of Antwerp's inner districts during the 19th century. This period is particularly significant since the city's growth reflects not only in size and scale but also in the increasing diversity due to migration, new industries, and port activities. Our approach aims to yield insights into the city's acoustic past, advocating for an integrated approach to historical texts with data models, associated sound ontologies, and artificial intelligence-based natural language processing methods. This project seeks not only to help preserve the city's acoustic heritage but also to enhance public engagement with its multisensory history and stimulate urban historical research focusing on the transformation of a representative 'big city' such as Antwerp during the 19th century. By doing so, the project proposes a paradigm shift where historical sounds are acknowledged as vital components of urban and other past environments, meriting academic interest and enduring conservation efforts.The reconstruction underscores the significance of engaging with our sense of hearing as crucial means of connecting with and promoting cultural heritage, aiming to create a more immersive connection with history.

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  • Research Project

Heritage from Below. Heritage-making practices of immigrant-background women in Flemish urban spaces. 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2026

Abstract

Drawing on participatory action research methods in the context of heritage studies and urban planning, this challenge invites potential candidates to explore the ways in which women of immigrant backgrounds create connections through tangible and intangible heritage with their surroundings in Flemish urban settings. Questions to focus on could be (but are not limited to): what connections are made by immigrant-background women and to what types of heritage? How significant is placemaking to personal and community resilience? What methodological approaches can be applied to capture information about heritage-making practices? How might such approaches better inform cultural heritage and social policies and best practices? By answering these questions, the project will add to the growing expertise in heritage from below, family and personal heritage which is extremely important to move beyond the authorized heritage discourse. We will focus on three particular migrant communities in Belgium, coming from Italy (who arrived mainly in the 1950s and '60s), Turkey ('70s and "80s), and Poland ('90-2010). We will also focus on three cities in Belgium: Antwerp, Genk, and Tienen to explore how heritage making is influenced by the urban environment (differences in scale, socioeconomic structure, ...), by social aspects (differences between first- and second or third-generation, religion, etc.) Although heritage studies is broadly interdisciplinary we envisage that academic backgrounds in (sub-)disciplines such as digital humanities, spatial analysis, ethnographic methods or urban studies and spatial planning may be in a strong position to propose innovative approaches to this challenge.

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  • Research Project

Past Echoing the Future: A Harmonious Conversation Between Past Sounds and Present Urban Soundscapes. 01/10/2024 - 30/09/2027

Abstract

The challenges of urban wellbeing, such as population density, noise pollution, and gentrification, have gained global attention. As cities grow audibly denser due to traffic and industrial activities, health impacts on inhabitants increase. The EU aims to reduce transport-related noise by 30% by 2030, yet current measures provide limited relief. Historical soundscape studies, pioneered by Alain Corbin, reveal the essential role of sound in community identity, but today's heritage discourse often overlooks sensory heritage in urban environments. This study introduces an innovative approach to preserving urban sound heritage through augmented audio reality and historical soundscape methods, examining the early modern soundscapes of Antwerp and Naples. Integrating text analysis, geospatial data, VR, and acoustic modeling, it aims to faithfully revive historical auditory environments. By addressing noise exposure and neglected auditory heritage, this project proposes a sustainable approach to sensory heritage, enriching contemporary urban acoustic experiences and fostering a deeper sense of connection among city residents.

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  • Research Project

Artemis. Advanced Research Tools for Environmental studies in an open Mapping Infrastructure for historical maps of the Scheldt valley. 01/05/2024 - 30/04/2028

Abstract

Historical maps are not only unique heritage objects but also containers of precious data on the evolution of the cultural and natural landscape. From the 16th century onwards, in present-day Belgium, handwritten local maps were produced in great numbers, followed by the famous Ferraris and printed Vandermaelen map series, as well as large numbers of large or medium scale cadastral maps. What is left of this unique heritage is dispersed over public and private collections, making users of digital historical maps struggle to use these maps to their full potential. Artemis is convinced that this wealth of detailed maps and map series has great potential to investigate landscapes, their evolution over time and their possible future(s) - a potential that could be used in varying fields of research such as Historical Geography, Ecology (biodiversity and water management) and Spatial Planning. Artemis aims to process, digitally enrich, make available and valorize well-defined corpora of both handwritten and printed maps before ca. 1880, using state of the art extraction techniques - as automated localization, toponym recognition and (landscape) feature extraction - with in finality, publication in a IIIF-enabled Linked Open Data Research Infrastructure. The project joins forces of both the University of Antwerp and Ghent University, backed up by the main Belgian map collection holders (ARA/KBR/NGI), focussing on the Scheldt River Valley which connects Antwerp to Ghent.

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  • Research Project

Modelling Space-Time Uncertainty in Archaeological Excavation Information: From Relational Databases to Semantically Rich Graphs. 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2027

Abstract

When archaeologists dig, they encounter questions tied to materials, events, and people, among others. Understanding where and when things took place is paramount to answering these questions, but this process is often riddled with uncertainties. These uncertainties, which this project terms "Uncertainty across Space and Time Encountered during Archaeological Excavations" (USTEAE), can sometimes be misrecorded or overlooked in archaeological databases. To address this, this project is exploring the potential of "semantically rich property graphs" to better capture and depict these uncertainties. By incorporating these graphs into heritage databases, the aim is to enhance the representation of USTEAE. Another objective is to refine existing heritage data modelling standards, such as the CIDOC-CRM, to more accurately express these uncertainties. The ultimate goal is to improve the management of archaeological and heritage sites and offer more nuanced data analysis, especially in the face of challenges like climate change, which introduce additional layers of uncertainty to archaeological and heritage fieldwork.

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  • Research Project

Transforming data rE-use in ARCHaeology 01/10/2022 - 31/12/2025

Abstract

Digital data curation for cultural heritage has reached a critical impasse. A central tension exists between the need to preserve cultural resources, and the dynamic potential for their use and re-use in democratic and just ways. In archaeology, much work has been done to make data Findable, Accessible and Interoperable (according to the FAIR Principles), but little is understood about whether data are Reusable–and by whom. TEtrARCHs argues the future of digital curation depends upon reconciling this divide, and aims to demonstrate that data optimised for ethical and emotive storytelling will provide the bridge between those who find or preserve heritage assets, and the diverse cross-European audiences for whom they might generate meaning. Through an interdisciplinary team of archaeological specialists, data scientists, and museum practitioners, collaborating with three key user groups–domain experts, creative practitioners, and memory institutions–TEtrARCHs will offer those who capture, curate and apply cultural heritage data with critically-aware workflows to prepare their data for enhanced re-use at every point in the data lifecycle (e.g., capture, mapping, lab-based analysis), then scenario-test such re-use through the dissemination of new narrative outputs authored by cross-European creative practitioners. The project embraces three scales of data collection in archaeology–landscape, site and artefact–exploring them via four increasingly ubiquitous technologies for data capture: airborne LiDAR, 3D scanning, digital field drawing and photography. Alongside novel workflows for field, post-excavation and archival practice, TEtrARCHs will produce the world's first controlled vocabulary for cultural heritage storytelling, the first assessments of data reuse effectiveness following ISO Standard 25022: Measurement of Quality in Use, and the first best practice recommendations for trusted digital repositories to optimise archaeological data for re-use.

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Project website

Project type(s)

  • Research Project