The aim of RELEVEN is to cast a clearer light on the events of the "short eleventh century" (c. 1030–1095) and specifically to get a better understanding of the ways in which the Christian world was perceived by its inhabitants at the time, particularly in the eastern half of Christendom but also to the north, where the faith had rapidly been expanding. The key to achieving this is to find a way to link and connect large amounts of disparate sorts of data. We aim to find a model for expressing data about the eleventh century that allows us to incorporate and model different, and even conflicting, perspectives about what the data tell us. The work of the RELEVEN project is divided into three strands: these are "People and movement", "Place and space", and "Textual culture". Within each strand we seek to explore the relevant sources in order to get a picture of the multiple, and quite often conflicting, ways that the Christians of the period understood their societies and the space they lived in.
Understanding the events of the “short eleventh century” is vital for gaining insights into how people in the Christian world perceived their societies, especially in eastern Christendom and expanding northern regions. In some of these regions, such as the Caucasus and Ukrain, the history is contested even today, with the conflicting traditions used in political debate and even justification for warfare. The RELEVEN project recognizes the limitations of a one-size-fits-all historical narrative; indeed, the novel aspect of this methodology is that it takes to its logical conclusion something that historians all readily acknowledge and that is especially apparent for pre-modern history: that there are very few, if any, simple and undisputed facts. By developing new methods of creating and using digital data, we can draw on emerging multidisciplinary data and utilize a wide array of available resources to trace the authority of information regarding the Christian world in the eleventh century. The goal is to provide people today, including but not limited to historians, with more accurate and detailed picture of history, considering different viewpoints and creating a richer narrative.
The overall objectives of the project are to develop and implement the STAR Model (Structured Assertion Record) for structured collection and representation of 11th century data; to investigate various historical sources within the thematic strands “People and Movement”, “Place and Space” and “Textual Culture” to gain a better understanding of the era; to establish a data repository for storing and accessing project findings; and to create an online analysis tool for interactive exploration of eleventh century data, enhancing public engagement and understanding.
