Tools for Digital Epigraphy (EDEp)

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Marietta Horster
• Subject Area: Ancient History
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468947401

“Digital edition tools for epigraphy” (EDEp) will explore the possibilities and needs of digital epigraphy. It will develop attractive tools for its application and use them for Ephemeris Epigraphica Electronica (EEE), which will be launched within the framework of the project and within a concrete research project in the German area of the Roman province Gallia Belgica. The project will thus integrate digital epigraphy into current research on Roman history and archaeology in Germany. The open-access EEE will publish editions of inscriptions and research data and offer it for digital and for print reuse. The overall EDEp concept will not only advance research on Gallia Belgica. Through some selected further editions, the research on other regions of the Roman Empire will benefit as well.EDEp will focus on four aspects to create more acceptance for XML/TEI-supported publishing in the field of ancient epigraphy. These are: 1) the establishment of a publication tool as a best practice example for epigraphic digital editions, EEE = Ephemeris Epigraphica Electronica, 2) a DTS tool to improve the digital addressability and citability of inscriptions, 3) a 'cookbook' including online documentation on GitHub for digital editions and critical, user-oriented analyses of tools and workflows for the optimisation of epigraphic publications, 4) presentations of the scientific outputs with their digital added value, promotion of the digital tools in scientific contexts, publication of the outputs in e-journals and GitHub. Already during the project, data and software solutions created will be released for subsequent reuse in accordance with the FAIR principles (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability). The integration of EDEp's outputs into existing and new epigraphic projects will enable necessary adjustments and optional improvements to be made even after the end of funding, although not in a cost-neutral way, but with relatively little effort. The research results on Gallia Belgica and the other editions of inscription with a limited regional focus as listed in the application, as well as further research on the edited inscriptions will close important gaps in the processing and research of Roman sources.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants