Special Issue of “Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage” on Immersive, Interactive and Metaverse Heritage by Elsevier

Digital technologies have long played a central role in archaeology and cultural heritage, from documentation and visualization to analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. In recent years, however, the rapid maturation of Extended Reality (XR) technologies—encompassing Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR)—together with the emergence of immersive virtual environments, has introduced a qualitative shift in how heritage is designed, experienced, and learned. These technologies no longer function solely as representational tools, but rather, they increasingly function as interactive, experiential, and educational systems that actively shape interpretation, engagement, and meaning-making.

This Special Issue aims to contribute to current debates by focusing on immersive and interactive heritage experiences as socio-technical and design-driven constructs, rather than purely technological artifacts. While existing literature has extensively addressed 3D visualization, virtual reconstructions, and digital documentation, there remains a need for a more integrated understanding of how XR design decisions, interaction paradigms, and experiential qualities influence user engagement, emotional responses, and learning outcomes in archaeological and cultural heritage contexts.

The proposed Special Issue is highly relevant to the readership of Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, as it aligns with the journal’s focus on innovative digital applications while expanding the conversation toward user-centered design, experiential evaluation, and educational impact. In particular, the issue responds to growing interest in:

• immersive interpretation of archaeological sites and collections,
• participatory and interactive heritage experiences,
• the use of XR and metaverse platforms for education, public engagement, and informal learning,
• critical assessment of effectiveness, usability, impact and inclusivity of immersive systems.

By foregrounding engagement and learning outcomes, the Special Issue encourages critical reflection on challenges such as accessibility, ethical design, sustainability, data interpretation, and the long-term implications of metaverse-based heritage environments. The issue aims to bring together both conceptual and empirical contributions that are directly relevant to archaeologists, heritage professionals, designers, educators, and researchers working at the intersection of digital technology and cultural heritage.

Expected areas of submission include, but are not limited to:

1. Design and development of AR/VR/XR applications for archaeology and cultural heritage
2. Interaction design and user experience (UX) in immersive heritage environments
3. Metaverse platforms and virtual worlds for heritage interpretation and dissemination
4. Emotional, experiential, and affective dimensions of immersive heritage
5. Evaluation of user engagement, immersion, and presence
6. Learning outcomes, knowledge acquisition, and skills development in XR-based heritage education
7. Participatory, co-creative, and community-centered immersive heritage projects
8. Case studies of immersive applications in museums, archaeological sites, and educational settings
9. Ethical, methodological, and sustainability issues in immersive and metaverse heritage

Important dates

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2026

For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Dr. Rebeka Vital via rebekavital@shenkar.ac.il or rebekavital@gmail.com.

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