what is accarq?
ACCARQ is a transfer project, with a strong application component, which combines the dissemination of Cultural Heritage with new translation tools and the creation of accessible inclusive languages, and whose framework for development and experimentation is the Reccopolis Archaeological Park (Guadalajara), linked to the University of Alcalá. Three lines of action are proposed that focus, on the one hand, on the development of linguistic elements and 3D objects, in multilingual, that allow for improved dissemination for groups with visual, hearing or intellectual difficulties; on the other, the translation into languages other than Spanish of explanatory contents already existing in the archaeological site itself within the framework of accessible language; and finally, the reformulation of the themes used, through the use of more inclusive languages, associated with greater explanatory visibility around axes of content that are not present at present: gender and childhood.
objectives
ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSLATION
In recent years, a major effort has been made to develop inclusive and accessible content in closed museum environments. However, the development of these contents still has a limited application in heritage dissemination spaces that combine open-air areas. The structure in ACCARQ is a particularly adaptable model in smaller museum environments, and is especially useful for linking elements together. For this reason, one of our main objectives is to facilitate the accessibility of the Heritage contents through simple, accessible language and in several languages.
USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
In order to achieve the objectives of accessibility and dissemination in this project, we applied the use of new technologies. The virtual reconstruction and 3D technology allows the reproduction of different elements of the Reccopolis Archaeological Park by means of photogrammetry of archaeological materials and their 3D printing. In addition, 3D dismountable architectural ensembles are implemented with a Braille language for their interpretation. There will also be resources such as sign language in projection elements and magnetic loops inside the park, combined with QR codes to view the contents on the web.
Content Dissemination
Cultural heritage content can be disseminated through many different channels to share history and the past. One of our main objectives is the dissemination of the content of the Reccopolis Archaeological Park. By combining new technologies with accessible adaptations, we aim to broaden these dissemination channels so that more people can learn about the past and the material culture that shapes our image of history as a civilisation. We believe that content dissemination should take place through diverse means, integrating both digital and in-person formats in a way that complements and enhances each other.
Who we are
Manuel Castro-Priego
Assistant Professor of Archaeology at the University of Alcalá. Archaeologist specialised in the economic characterisation of the Early Middle Ages through the numismatic record. Principal Investigator of this project.
Among his lines of research, the shaping of new urban realities during the Late Middle Ages also stands out (Alcalá de Henares and Uceda, Guadalajara). As part of his international projects, he has coordinated various activities along the Ecuadorian coast, applying ethnoarchaeological and productive criteria, with a focus on interventions at the large Manteño complex of Ligüiqui. He is a member of the Reccopolis Research Team and has participated in and co-directed investigations into key elements of the site, such as the city wall, its archaeological contextualisation, glass production, and the numismatic record, among others.
Julián de la fuente prieto
Senior Lecturer in Audiovisual Communication at the University of Alcalá.
His research is multidisciplinary, sharing perspectives and approaches from psychology, anthropology, history, and sociology. He frequently collaborates with architects, engineers, and artists, employing qualitative and ethnographic methodologies as well as multimodal discourse analysis. He is the author of numerous publications examining social networks, new technologies such as metaverses, and the digital practices of young people. He has also carried out several outreach projects related to cultural heritage.
Ingrid Cáceres Würsig
Senior Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting (accredited for Full Professorship) at the University of Alcalá. She is a member of the research groups FITISPos and RECEPTION (University of Alcalá).
Her research focuses on the history of translation and interpreting and its teaching, as well as on the reception of historical-political Spanish-German texts, subjects on which she has numerous publications. She co-directs the Master’s Degree in Conference Interpreting with a focus on business, and she is the coordinator of the iDEALE excellence teaching innovation group.
She has collaborated on several digital repositories (OLE-4, POETRY-15, Portal of the History of Translation in Spain), with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) on the translation of historical texts, and in exhibitions (Translation, the Language of Europe; Homo net: Timeless Languages). She also develops translation projects in collaboration with Wikimedia Spain.
Belén Almeida Cabrejas
Senior Lecturer in Spanish Language at the University of Alcalá.
She has worked as a secondary school teacher, editor for the Nuevo Diccionario Histórico del Español (Rafael Lapesa Foundation–RAE), and adjunct lecturer at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Her research has focused on the historiographical work of Alfonso X and on manuscript writing practices from the 16th to the 19th centuries, particularly those of less skilled scribes and of women.
Elena peñalver Alcaide
She holds a degree in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Granada. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northumbria University and a Maîtrise in Foreign Languages from the University of Aix-Marseille.
At the University of Granada, she also completed a Master’s Degree in Translation and Interpreting and earned her PhD with a specialisation in financial translation. She is a sworn translator and interpreter and has been practising professionally since 2010.
She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern Philology at the University of Alcalá and has been a member of the FITISPOS research group since 2017. Her main line of research is legal and financial translation, on which she has published numerous scholarly articles.
Mar gallego-García
Pre-doctoral Researcher under contract in the Area of Archaeology at the University of Alcalá, working on the RECCULT project. Archaeologist specialised in material culture and the application of new technologies.
Pre-doctoral Researcher under contract in the RecCult project, she has extensive experience in various archaeological projects from the Early Middle Ages. Her research focuses on the study of material culture from the Visigothic and Emirate periods, with a primarily ceramic-based approach. She has taken part in research teams at major archaeological sites such as Vega Baja in Toledo and Reccopolis at different stages. She has received extensive training in the use of 3D techniques, new technologies, and marketing applied to archaeological heritage. Currently, she is specialising in the management of documentary collections from heritage projects, from a perspective that combines Archival Science and Archaeology.
Víctor Muñoz-Pérez
Researcher under contract within the INVESTIGO Programme, awarded by the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM) and funded by European funds, in the Area of Archaeology at the University of Alcalá, working on the ACCARQ project. History graduate with experience in the application of new technologies.
History graduate from the University of Alcalá, currently under contract in the ACCARQ project. He has knowledge of new technologies related to photogrammetry, 3D modelling and printing, as well as skills in programming and web design.
His experience includes a historical and archaeological review of the site of Alcalá la Vieja, Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He has participated as an assistant and volunteer at the Landscape Archaeology Conference 2024, as well as in various other conferences related to archaeology and research.
In addition, it is worth highlighting his experience in carrying out activities with individuals with disabilities and with children with special educational needs.
