Search Results (8)

The Babylonian numeral system, developed more than four thousand years ago, is one of the earliest known positional number systems, employing a sexagesimal (base-60) structure and a limited set of wedge-shaped symbols. Despite their visual simplicity, Babylonian numerals exhibit substantial structural and positional complexity, particularly when multiple symbols are combined to represent larger numerical values. This complexity presents significant challenges for modern computational recognition, especially in handwritten and degraded archaeological contexts. Most existing research has focused on the recognition of isolated Babylonian numeral symbols, which does not adequately reflect real inscriptions where numerals typically appear as composite sequences. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a hybrid deep learning framework capable of identifying, interpreting, and computing the decimal values of multi-symbol handwritten Babylonian numerals. Building on prior work in single-symbol recognition, we construct a synthetic yet realistic dataset of composite numeral images by combining handwritten glyphs into sequences of two to four symbols while incorporating natural variations in spacing, alignment, and handwriting style. The proposed framework integrates a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for visual feature extraction with optional structural feature fusion, followed by a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for reliable multi-class discrimination. A rule-based positional decoder is then applied to convert recognized symbol sequences into their corresponding decimal values using Babylonian base-60 logic. By combining visual recognition with positional numerical reasoning, the proposed system enables end-to-end interpretation of handwritten Babylonian numeral sequences. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents one of the first approaches to jointly classify, decode, and compute numerical values from multi-symbol handwritten Babylonian numerals, contributing to digital epigraphy, archaeological text analysis, and cultural heritage preservation. Full article

One of the key artefacts of epigraphy in Southeast Asia is the Singapore Stone inscription, which is, unfortunately, in a poor condition. There are huge spaces that separate the readable characters, rendering the text incomplete. This renders a traditional reconstruction and interpretation by philologists extremely challenging. We consider epigraphic restoration as a data-restoration task in this paper. We represent the inscription as a system of categorical symbols, in keeping with the original spatial disposition of characters and spaces. Our model is trained in a conservative, data-driven manner using the observed symbols to learn the local transition statistics, and it takes advantage of this information to make plausible predictions of the most likely characters in missing sequences that are short and well-constrained. The procedure generates a probabilistic hypothesis of restoration, which can be audited, as opposed to one definitive reading. The validation of masked-character recovery demonstrates that the model has a mean top-one error of 53.3%, which represents a significantly worse performance compared with simple baseline methods. The process is focused on interaction and transparency with experts. It relies upon assurance scores and prioritised alternative completions of each proposed reconstruction, as a useful means to produce hypotheses in computational epigraphy and the digital humanities. Full article

This study investigates Armenian editorial conventions for inscriptions and evaluates their compatibility and the possibility of their further integration with international standards of epigraphic editing for open access and equal use. It focuses on the Divan Hay Vimagrut’yan (Corpus of Armenian Epigraphy), launched in the 1960s, which introduced a systematic apparatus for distinguishing diplomatic transcriptions from interpretative reconstructions. Later Armenian publications often simplified these conventions, replacing specialized signs with typographic substitutes. While these changes improved accessibility, they also reduced palaeographic precision and created inconsistencies across editions. Through comparative analysis with the Leiden Conventions and the EpiDoc TEI framework, the research identifies both areas of alignment and points of divergence. Armenian conventions handle missing letters, restorations, redundancies, and abbreviations in distinctive ways, sometimes reassigning the meaning of symbols across different publications. This variation, if not explicitly documented, complicates digital encoding and risks loss of information. Methodologically, this study develops a digital heritage interoperability model that translates local Armenian editorial practices into machine-actionable standards, enabling their integration into international infrastructures such as EpiDoc and FAIR-based cultural heritage systems. The principal contribution of this work is the proposal of a dual-track encoding strategy. One track applies a granular mapping of Armenian signs to the full set of Leiden and EpiDoc categories, ensuring maximum interoperability. The other track preserves a simplified schema faithful to Armenian usage, reflecting local scholarly traditions. Together, these approaches provide both international comparability and cultural specificity. The conclusion is that Armenian inscriptions can be effectively integrated into global digital infrastructures by means of transparent documentation, crosswalk tables, and encoding policies that follow FAIR principles. This ensures long-term preservation, machine-actionability, and the broader reuse of Armenian epigraphic data in comparative cultural heritage research. Full article

The digitization of cultural and intellectual heritage is expanding the research scope and methodologies of the scientific discipline of Humanities. Culturally diverse epigraphic systems reveal a range of methodological impediments on the way to their integration into digital epigraphic data preservation systems—EAGLE and FAIR ontologies predominantly based on Greco-Roman cultural categorization. We suggest an interdisciplinary approach—drawing from Heritage Studies, Cultural Epistemology, and Social Semiotics—to ensure the comprehensive encoding, preservation, and accessibility of at-risk cultural artifacts. Heritage Studies emphasize inscriptions as material reflections of historical memory. Cultural Epistemology helps us to understand how different knowledge systems influence data categorization, while semiotic analysis reveals how inscriptions function within their social and symbolic contexts. Together, these methods guide the integration of culturally specific information into broader digital infrastructures. The case of Ukrainian epigraphy illustrates how this approach can be applied to ensure that local traditions are accurately represented and not flattened by standardized international systems. We argue that the same methodology can also support the digitization of other non-Greco-Roman heritage. FAIR Ontology and EAGLE vocabularies prioritize standardization and interoperability, introducing text mining, GIS mapping, and digital visualization to trace patterns across the vast body of texts from different historical periods. Standardizing valuable elements of cultural categorization and reconstructing and integrating lost or underrepresented cultural narratives will expand the capacity of the above systems and will foster greater inclusivity in Humanities research. Ukrainian epigraphic classification systems offer a unique, granular approach to inscription studies as a worthwhile contribution to the broader cognitive and epistemological horizons of the Humanities. Through a balanced use of specificity and interoperability principles, this study attempts to contribute to epigraphic metalanguage by challenging the monocentric ontologies, questioning cultural biases in digital categorization, and promoting open access to diverse sources of knowledge production. Full article

In the face of geopolitical threats in Artsakh, the preservation of Armenia’s epigraphic heritage has become a mission of both historical and cultural urgency. This project delves deep into Armenian inscriptions, employing advanced digital tools and strategies like the Oxygen text editor and EpiDoc guidelines to efficiently catalogue, analyze, and present these historical treasures. Amidst the adversities posed by Azerbaijan’s stance towards Armenian heritage in Artsakh, the digital documentation and preservation of these inscriptions have become a beacon of cultural resilience. The XML-based database ensures consistent data, promoting scholarly research and broadening accessibility. Integrating the Grabar Armenian dictionary addressed linguistic challenges, enhancing data accuracy. This initiative goes beyond merely preserving stone and text; it is a testament to the stories, hopes, and enduring spirit of the Armenian people in the face of external threats. Through a harmonious blend of technology and traditional knowledge, the project stands as a vanguard in the fight to ensure that Armenia’s rich epigraphic legacy, and the narratives they enshrine remain undiminished for future generations. Full article

Among the potential intellectual outputs of the ENCODE project is the production of a MOOC that introduces teaching staff and scientific experts to the digital transition in the field of ancient writing cultures. The basis for this MOOC is the need to foster awareness of the importance of digital competences and to use a structured framework to introduce people to the available innovative teaching and learning materials and opportunities for organizing (self-)training in this field of research. For specialists in the humanities, there is often an unexpected reluctance to go beyond simply using digital tools and to deepen their understanding of the implications of the digital transitions of research fields, as well as considering the readiness of young graduates to acquire digital competences. This MOOC, which is easily accessible, affordable, sustainable, and flexible, may achieve the initial aim of the project, namely, bridging the gap between the highly specialized competences in the humanities and the innovative digital skills needed in open science practices. The main methodological issue concerns the design and adaptation of cooperative tools in order to implement a common pedagogical approach and to produce MOOC content that integrates the different competences and insights of the project participants. This report on the experiment provides useful insights into the differing expectations of academic staff as content producers, issues surrounding MOOC-cooperative design between universities in different countries, the usability of the tested platform and of the different features provided, and sustainability, as guaranteed through the connection with digital infrastructures. In the concluding section, the originality of the MOOC at a more general scale is emphasized. The ways in which the MOOC can facilitate and support the digital transition are assessed according to the FAIR principles in Higher Education Institutions. Moreover, the MOOC offers models for hands-on experiences of digital training and the evaluation of learning outcomes according to shared European frameworks; it demonstrates the importance of being connected with larger projects and digital infrastructures. Full article

This article introduces a digital platform for collaborative research on the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, focusing on networks of Chinese temples and associations extending from Southeast China to the various port cities of Southeast Asia. The Singapore Historical Geographic Information System (SHGIS) and the Singapore Biographical Database (SBDB) are expandable WebGIS platforms gathering and linking data on cultural and religious networks across Southeast Asia. This inter-connected platform can be expanded to cover not only Singapore but all of Southeast Asia. We have added layers of data that go beyond Chinese Taoist, Buddhist, and popular god temples to also display the distributions of a wide range of other religious networks, including Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Hindu temples, and Theravadin, which are the Taiwanese, Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries found across the region. This digital platform covers a larger area than the Taiwan History and Culture in Time and Space (THCTS) historical GIS platform but is more regionally focused than the ECAI (Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative) By incorporating Chinese inscriptions, extensive surveys of Chinese temples and associations, as well as archival and historical sources, this platform provides new materials and new perspectives on the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. This paper: (1) outlines key research questions underlying these digital humanities platforms; (2) describes the overall architecture and the kinds of data included in the SHGIS and the SBDB; (3) reviews past research on historical GIS; and provides (4) a discussion of how incorporating Chinese epigraphy of Southeast Asia into these websites can help scholars trace networks across the entire region, potentially enabling comparative work on a wide range of religious networks in the region. Part 5 of the paper outlines technical aspects of the WebGIS platform. Full article

Digital 3D documentation methods such as Image-Based Modelling (IBM) and laser scanning have become increasingly popular for the recording of entire archaeological sites and landscapes, excavations and single finds during the last decade. However, they have not been applied in any significant degree to miniature incisions such as graffiti. In the same period, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) has become one of the most popular methods used to record and visualize this kind of heritage, though it lacks the benefits of 3D documentation. The aim of this paper is to introduce two new ways of combining IBM and RTI, and to assess these different techniques in relation to factors such as usability, time-efficiency, cost-efficiency and accuracy. A secondary aim is to examine the influence of two different 3D processing software packages on these factors: The widely used MetaShape (MS) and a more expensive option, RealityCapture (RC). The article shows that there is currently no recording technique that is optimal regarding all four aforementioned factors, and the way to record and produce results must be chosen based on a prioritization of these. However, we argue that the techniques combining RTI and IBM might be the overall best ways to record miniature incisions. One of these combinations is time-efficient and relatively cost-efficient, and the results have high usability even though the 3D models generated have low accuracy. The other combination has low time- and cost-efficiency but generates the most detailed 3D models of the techniques tested. In addition to cost-efficiency, the main difference between the 3D software packages tested is that RC is much faster than MS. The accuracy assessment remains inconclusive; while RC generally produces more detailed 3D models than MS, there are also areas of these models where RC creates more noise than MS. Full article