Current Epigraphy
ISSN: 1754-0909

The program for “The Materiality of Texts – placement, perception, presence” (24-26 September 2012) has been announced at http://www.dur.ac.uk/classics/events/upcoming_events/?eventno=12362.

Digital epigraphy beyond the Classical: creating (inter?)national standards for recording modern and early modern gravestones

Charlotte Tupman (KCL)

Institute of Classical Studies Digital Seminar 2012

Friday July 6th at 16:30, in Room G22/26, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

Early modern and modern gravestones are a vast but rapidly decaying historical resource for the period from the 16th century to the present day. Processes of weathering, deliberate or accidental damage, the re-use of cemeteries and the uprooting and rearranging of monuments (such as the practice of removing stones from their original positions and stacking them around the edges of walls) all have an impact on both the size and the scholarly value of this body of evidence. Countless records have already been lost, which makes it particularly important to address as soon as possible the question of how to record and publish these monuments systematically and usefully.

Currently there are no agreed standards for recording such gravestones. Interested historians and volunteers in some churches or local areas have recorded their own particular monumental inscriptions, and have made these available on microfiche, CD, or in a basic form online. Typically these records only include the text itself; very rarely there might be a photograph, but almost never is any metadata recorded about the monument. The nature of these recorded examples is thus very fragmentary and inconsistent.

The experience of projects using EpiDoc and other shared standards for the recording and publication of ancient and medieval inscribed materials has shown that there is considerable value in agreeing a set of guidelines for encoding and publication. This applies to materials that span a variety of languages, geographical areas, and centuries. It is clear that many, if not most, of the standards described in the EpiDoc guidelines are appropriate for, and directly applicable to, the recording and publication of modern gravestones. This paper investigates what is required in order to make these standards a viable method of recording such a large body of data, where many of those doing the recording are not experts in epigraphy.

It is clear that considerable thought must be given to what is asked of those who are responsible for recording the monuments, and how this can best be balanced with the need to produce a scholarly resource that will be useful for local historians, genealogists and other interested parties, as well as to people who would define themselves as epigraphers and archaeologists. Crucially, the system must make it sufficiently simple to input the data, but must also ensure that the resulting records are sufficiently detailed and useful for enabling in-depth research to be undertaken. This paper discusses these challenges and suggests solutions with a view to designing a pilot project for a national (and potentially international) system for recording and publishing gravestone evidence.

ALL WELCOME

The seminar will be followed by wine and refreshments.

The following program was sent in by Adrian Robu:

Mégarika.

Nouvelles recherches sur les cités de la Mégaride et les fondations mégariennes du Pont-Euxin : Archéologie, Épigraphie, Histoire.

8-12 Juillet 2012, Mangalia (Roumanie)

colloque international organisé avec l’appui financier du CNCS-UEFISCDI (n^o du projet : PN-ID-WE-2012-4-008) et du Collège de France

Programme du Colloque

Dimanche 8 Juillet 2012

Arrivée des participants

Lundi 9 juillet 2012

09⁰⁰-09¹⁵    Allocutions d’ouverture

09¹⁵-09³⁰    Adrian Robu, Iulian Bîrzescu, Introduction au colloque

Colonisation et contacts des cités mégariennes avec le monde Egéen   

Modérateur : Alexandru Avram

09³⁰-10⁴⁵

• Irad Malkin, Colonization and apoikia.
• Alexander Herda, Megara and Miletos : Colonizing with Apollo.
• Cornelis W. Neeft, Absolute chronology and Corinthian pottery.
• Discussion-Pause

11³⁰-12⁴⁵

• Richard Posamentir, Chersonesos Taurike – no ties to Megara ?
• Christel Müller, D’Héraclée pontique à Chersonèse taurique : les formes de la colonisation secondaire dans le réseau mégarien des apoikiai pontiques.
• Thibault Castelli, À propos du réseau mégarien du Pont Euxin : la mobilité des personnes entre mer Égée et mer Noire.
• Discussion

13¹⁵-14³⁰      Dejeuner

Modérateur : Iulian Bîrzescu

14³⁰-15^{4 5}

• Denis Knoepfler, Une femme de Callatis dans un nouveau décret attique d’association religieuse au III^e siècle av. J.-C.
• Victor Cojocaru, Un espace dorien pontique d’après les décrets de proxénie.
• Federica Cordano, Les familles de Sélymbria et quelques noms personnels.
• Discussion-Pause

Archéologie et épigraphie des cités de la Mégaride

16³⁰-17⁴⁵

• Yannis Chairetakis, Burial customs of Megara during the 7^th and 6^th c. B.C. The case of the North-East cemetery.
• Politimi Valta, A late archaic sanctuary in the west of Pagai – Preliminary results.
• Irini Svana, A refuse deposit of classical period from Megara. Reexamination of the architecture and the history of the ancient town.
• Discussion

18¹⁵-20⁰⁰      Visite du Musée d’archéologie Callatis, Mangalia

20³⁰                  Dîner

Mardi 10 juillet 2012

Modérateur : Victor Cojocaru

09⁰⁰-10¹⁵

• Eleni Banou, The Megarian urbanisme : new finds.
• Panaghiota Avgerinou, The water management in ancient Megara.
• Evgenia Tsalkou, A “peridiavasis” in the city of Megara of the 5^th and 4^th c. B.C.
• Discussion-Pause

11⁰⁰-12¹⁵  

• Stella Dreni, The coin circulation in Ancient Megara during the Classical and Hellenistic periods.       
• Adrian Robu, Contribution à l’épigraphie mégarienne : les tablettes funéraires inscrites.
• Yannis Kalliontzis, Les relations entre Aigosthènes et le koinon béotien : quatre nouvelles inscriptions d’Aigosthènes.
• Discussion-Pause

13⁰⁰-14³⁰      Dejeuner

Callatis et son territoire : nouveaux développements de la recherche

Modérateur : Denis Knoepfler

14³⁰-15²⁵

• Alexandru Avram, Sorin Marcel Colesniuc, Mihai Ionescu, Ion Pâslaru, Remarques préliminaires sur le papyrus de Callatis.
• Iulian Bîrzescu, Mihai Ionescu, Recherches sur la fondation de Callatis : l’apport de la documentation archéologique.
• Livia Buzoianu, Maria Bărbulescu, Les terres cuites d’Albești d’époque hellénistique. Les représentations de culte.
• Discussion-Pause

16³⁰-17⁴⁵

• Gabriel Talmațchi, About the activity of the Callatian mint during the 4^th-1^st c. B.C.
• Florina Panait-Bîrzescu, Tatiana Odobescu, Découvertes sculpturales de la ‘zone sacrée’ de Callatis 
• Nicolae Alexandru, Fortified settlements in the territory of Callatis (4^th-3^rd c. B.C.).
• Discussion-Pause

18³⁰-18⁵⁵      Alexandru Avram, Conclusions

20³⁰                  Dîner

Mecredi 11 juillet 2012

09³⁰-12⁰⁰      Visite des fouilles archéologiques d’Histria

13⁰⁰-15⁰⁰      Déjeuner

15³⁰-18⁰⁰      Visite du Musée d’histoire nationale et d’archéologie de Constantza

20³⁰                  Dîner

Jeudi 12 juillet 2012

Départ des participants

Contacts :

Adrian Robu, adrianrobu@yahoo.com

Iulian Bîrzescu, iulian2@gmail.com

Lieu du colloque :

Hôtel Président, Salle des Colloques

Strada Teilor, nr. 6, 905500 Mangalia, Roumanie