Successful Completion of the e-Dispilio Project Presentation Event

Presentation of the digital applications and visit to the Digital Representation Centre of the Prehistoric Lakeside Settlement of Dispilio

The presentation event of the project “e-Dispilio: Digital Representation, Promotion and Dissemination of the Prehistoric Lakeside Settlement of Dispilio” was successfully held on 17 September 2026 in Dispilio, Kastoria. The event presented the project’s progress and outcomes, including its digital applications, educational games and VR technologies, followed by a visit to the Digital Representation Centre of the Prehistoric Settlement of Dispilio.

The presentation event of the project “e-Dispilio: Digital Representation, Promotion and Dissemination of the Prehistoric Lakeside Settlement of Dispilio” was successfully held on Thursday, 17 September 2026, at the Limnaion Hotel in Dispilio, Kastoria.

The event was attended by representatives of local authorities, public services and organisations, with particularly strong participation from educators from across Western Macedonia.

Opening greetings were delivered by a representative of the Holy Metropolis of Kastoria, the Deputy Regional Governor of Kastoria, Mr Dimitris Savvopoulos, and the representative of the Municipality of Kastoria, Deputy Mayor Mr Stylianos Fouliras.

The Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kastoria, Andromachi Skreka, presented the topic of cultural heritage management and the new challenges associated with it, highlighting the role of the Ministry of Culture and the activities of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kastoria.

Professor Emeritus of Prehistoric Archaeology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Scientific Coordinator of the project, Kostas Kotsakis, presented the philosophy, design and main deliverables of e-Dispilio in his talk entitled “They Have Something Important to Tell Us! Meet the Neolithic Farmers of Dispilio…”. At the end of his presentation, he thanked everyone who contributed to the successful implementation of the project.

The Project Team Coordinator, Dr Tryfon Giagkoulis, presented both the implementation process and the project deliverables in his presentation entitled “The e-Dispilio Project: Design, Implementation and Deliverables”.

Dr Trisevgeni Papadakou, Eirini-Margarita Tzemopoulou and Melina Papadopoulou, members of the project team, delivered the presentation “A Day in Neolithic Dispilio: From Archaeological Data to the Creation of a Digital Narrative”, explaining how archaeological knowledge and scientific documentation were transformed into digital content and interactive applications.

Kostas Kasvikis, Associate Professor of History and Culture Education at the Department of Primary Education in Florina, presented the educational games developed within the project through his talk “Informal Learning, Experience and Historical Understanding through the Educational Games of e-Dispilio”.

Archaeologist and musician Dimitris Sfakianakis, who composed the music for e-Dispilio, presented the approach followed for the creation of the project’s soundscape. The composition was inspired by the natural sounds of Dispilio, archaeological finds related to musical instruments, and other objects capable of producing sound.

The first part of the event concluded with the presentation “e-Dispilio: Technology and Innovation” by Kostas Nasias, Managing Director of EXEO Software House, the company responsible for the implementation of the project. The presentation focused on the technological solutions developed for such a demanding project, as well as the high-quality digital deliverables and 3D models that combine archaeological knowledge with innovative technologies.

During the second part of the event, participants visited the archaeological site and the Digital Representation Centre of the Prehistoric Settlement of Dispilio, where they had the opportunity to experience the project’s digital applications firsthand.

Visitors were welcomed by a digital avatar representing the village elder, who introduced them to the digital exhibition. They then watched a short video and explored the settlement’s stratigraphy display and holographic projection systems presenting archaeological finds from the excavations at Dispilio.

Participants also interacted with a large touchscreen map of the prehistoric settlement, while the Virtual Reality (VR) application attracted particular interest, with visitors continuously rotating among the available VR stations.

The educational games displayed on two large interactive touchscreen tables were especially popular among educators. Through these applications, children can discover everyday life in the prehistoric settlement and digitally experience activities such as building a Neolithic house.

The e-Dispilio project combines archaeological and scientific documentation with modern technologies such as digital reconstruction, virtual reality, interactive applications and educational games, creating a new and engaging way for the public to discover the Prehistoric Lakeside Settlement of Dispilio.

The project is co-funded by the European Union and national resources, through the Managing Authority of the “Western Macedonia” Regional Programme, and is implemented within the framework of the “Western Macedonia 2021–2027” Programme (NSRF 2021–2027).

Click here to watch the event videos