DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

Abstract

This conference thesis examines the role of digital transformation in archaeological heritage management, focusing on how modern technologies support documentation, preservation, interpretation, public access, and sustainable tourism. Archaeological heritage is a non-renewable cultural resource; therefore, its management requires accurate recording, responsible decision-making, and long-term conservation strategies. Digital tools such as 3D scanning, photogrammetry, geographic information systems, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, digital archives, and online museum platforms are increasingly used to protect archaeological sites and make heritage more accessible to researchers, tourists, and local communities. UNESCO emphasizes the growing importance of digital technologies in culture through projects such as digital mapping, online museums, and 3D modelling of World Heritage sites (UNESCO, n.d.). Using Afrasiab Museum and the ancient archaeological area of Samarkand as a case study, this thesis argues that digital transformation should not be understood only as technological modernization, but as a strategic management process that connects archaeological preservation with business planning, tourism development, education, and sustainable cultural policy.