Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ATLOMY (Anatomy in Ancient Greece and Rome: An Interactive Visual and Textual Atlas)
Período documentado: 2022-04-01 hasta 2023-09-30
At the core of modern Western medicine stand ancient Greek and Roman ideas concerning the structure (anatomy) of the body and its parts. ATLOMY is a multidisciplinary study of this Greco-Roman part of the history of anatomy. It does so by implementing a novel and innovative method, which combines historical and philological analysis with experimental research and high-end digital and visual design and development.Our sources of information are ancient anatomical texts, in which ancient physicians and philosophers set out their anatomical ideas in detail. During this time of anatomical research and discovery, anatomy was a dynamic field of knowledge. There was no single standard anatomy as there is today. Rather, each author had his own set of ideas of the structure of the body and its parts, and his own terminology to express it. There are, therefore, many Greco-Roman anatomies to investigate. Anatomical ideas and terminology were not limited to professional writings, but became part of popular cultural and daily life. We find them in colloquial idioms and metaphors and in direct and indirect references throughout Greco-Roman literature (plays, poems, historiography, letters and more) and material culture (anatomical votives,vase paintings and more). The ancient anatomical texts allow modern readers to learn about the ancient understanding of the body, the terminology they used to describe it(much of which we still use today)and the empirical and other sources on which they based their ideas. Nevertheless,modern scholars face challenges in interpreting these texts. First and foremost are the disciplinary and visual gaps between the ancient writers of these texts and their modern readers. These are highly technical texts, written for physicians and anatomy experts of the time;and their verbal descriptions rested on visual evidence gained from empirical research and observations of the body. However, most modern readers of these texts are philologists and historians, trained and skilled in observing and studying texts and words – not the body.
ATLOMY is bridging these gaps by breaking through the textual boundaries of our sources. We are deciphering, disentangling and mapping ancient anatomical ideas, terminology and research and developing a groundbreaking, interactive digital Atlas of Greco-Roman anatomy.Our open access Atlas offers tailormade viewing and research tools for researchers, students and the public. We are able to achieve this thanks to ATLOMY’s interdisciplinary and unprecedented team of classicists, historians,modern anatomists, 3D modellers, software developers and product experts, who are working together to analyse and decipher the ancient anatomical knowledge and to present it by means of the 21st century.
Our research improves our understanding of the history of science and medicine and of the Greco-Roman culture more broadly. ATLOMY’s results and interactive outputs will enable researchers, students and the public to better engage with the ancient texts and concepts and it makes them and our scientific interpretations of them more open and accessible. Furthermore, revealing how novel and innovative scientific ideas emerged in earlier times can encourage scientific innovation and "eureka moments" in modern science by motivating us to think beyond accepted assumptions and to challenge our perspective and manner of observation.
ATLOMY is bridging these gaps by breaking through the textual boundaries of our sources. We are deciphering, disentangling and mapping ancient anatomical ideas, terminology and research and developing a groundbreaking, interactive digital Atlas of Greco-Roman anatomy.Our open access Atlas offers tailormade viewing and research tools for researchers, students and the public. We are able to achieve this thanks to ATLOMY’s interdisciplinary and unprecedented team of classicists, historians,modern anatomists, 3D modellers, software developers and product experts, who are working together to analyse and decipher the ancient anatomical knowledge and to present it by means of the 21st century.
Our research improves our understanding of the history of science and medicine and of the Greco-Roman culture more broadly. ATLOMY’s results and interactive outputs will enable researchers, students and the public to better engage with the ancient texts and concepts and it makes them and our scientific interpretations of them more open and accessible. Furthermore, revealing how novel and innovative scientific ideas emerged in earlier times can encourage scientific innovation and "eureka moments" in modern science by motivating us to think beyond accepted assumptions and to challenge our perspective and manner of observation.
We have analysed the anatomical ideas, terminology and research of key medical and philosophical authors. In the process we have established a pioneering Interdisciplinary Method for analyzing historical anatomical texts. The method involves philological,experimental,and visual analyses of the texts, including translation into English, deciphering the anatomical details with medical experts, tailored dissections to observe the body as the ancients did, and the creation of visual 2D and 3D representation of the anatomical ideas described in the texts.
Using this novel method we have already created visualisations of the following anatomies: (1) the digestive system according to Galen (2nd-3rd century CE), (2) the respiratory,(3) cardio-vascular and (4) digestives systems according to Aristotle (4th century BCE)and(5) the vascular-respiratory system according to the treatise “Sacred Disease” from the Hippocratic Corpus (5th century CE). Work is underway on 3D models of the (6) hand according to Galen,(7)urinary and (8) reproductive systems according to Aristotle and (9) complete internal anatomy according to Celsus (1st c. CE).We designed and developed the innovative interactive Digital Atlas and we launched the beta version in October 2021. Users can: explore the 3D anatomical models from various angles, fade and remove layers to explore deeper anatomical parts, zoom in and out; access contextual information on the ancient terminology, ideas and sources, as well as explanations concerning the research and scientific decisions made by ATLOMY in the design of each model.
The backbone of the Atlas is the Interactive Lexicon of ancient anatomical terminology that we composed. It currently includes almost 650 anatomical terms in Ancient Greek, Latin and Classical Arabic. The Lexicon provides users with detailed descriptions, historical context, research references and relevant 3D visualisations for each anatomical term, further enhancing the Atlas's value as a comprehensive research tool. Our advanced search engine offers interactive tools to filter and sort results according to users’ specific needs.
We designed the Atlas and its software features based on a rigorous User Research performed by our Product Manager. We are currently conducting a second and wider User Research to receive feedback and plan the next version. By employing extensive Data-Science and Machine-Learning methods, we automated data collection and initial analysis stages.We joined the International Research Network (IRN) of the CNRS “Cultural Transmission of the Zoological Knowledge (Antiquity-Middle Age): Discourses and Technics” (ZOOMATHIA), coordinator: Arnaud Zucker. Throughout our work, we have shared our ongoing results and findings through presentations at international conferences, workshops, and seminars, engaging with experts across diverse fields. We are working to publish particular insights on the texts in the atlas and in traditional platforms such as journal articles.
Using this novel method we have already created visualisations of the following anatomies: (1) the digestive system according to Galen (2nd-3rd century CE), (2) the respiratory,(3) cardio-vascular and (4) digestives systems according to Aristotle (4th century BCE)and(5) the vascular-respiratory system according to the treatise “Sacred Disease” from the Hippocratic Corpus (5th century CE). Work is underway on 3D models of the (6) hand according to Galen,(7)urinary and (8) reproductive systems according to Aristotle and (9) complete internal anatomy according to Celsus (1st c. CE).We designed and developed the innovative interactive Digital Atlas and we launched the beta version in October 2021. Users can: explore the 3D anatomical models from various angles, fade and remove layers to explore deeper anatomical parts, zoom in and out; access contextual information on the ancient terminology, ideas and sources, as well as explanations concerning the research and scientific decisions made by ATLOMY in the design of each model.
The backbone of the Atlas is the Interactive Lexicon of ancient anatomical terminology that we composed. It currently includes almost 650 anatomical terms in Ancient Greek, Latin and Classical Arabic. The Lexicon provides users with detailed descriptions, historical context, research references and relevant 3D visualisations for each anatomical term, further enhancing the Atlas's value as a comprehensive research tool. Our advanced search engine offers interactive tools to filter and sort results according to users’ specific needs.
We designed the Atlas and its software features based on a rigorous User Research performed by our Product Manager. We are currently conducting a second and wider User Research to receive feedback and plan the next version. By employing extensive Data-Science and Machine-Learning methods, we automated data collection and initial analysis stages.We joined the International Research Network (IRN) of the CNRS “Cultural Transmission of the Zoological Knowledge (Antiquity-Middle Age): Discourses and Technics” (ZOOMATHIA), coordinator: Arnaud Zucker. Throughout our work, we have shared our ongoing results and findings through presentations at international conferences, workshops, and seminars, engaging with experts across diverse fields. We are working to publish particular insights on the texts in the atlas and in traditional platforms such as journal articles.
ATLOMY has created the first-ever 3D representations of ancient anatomical ideas described in our textual sources. For the first time, scholars can view the three-dimensional body as it was described by different ancient authors and observe it from different angles as the ancient writers had originally observed the body. In so doing ATLOMY’s Atlas significantly advances the understanding of those studying the ancient sources. It allows scholars and students to understand the anatomical descriptions and terminology they encounter in the ancient texts and in so doing to better understand the texts as a whole, and the ideas, rituals and cultural aspects they discuss or reflect.
In the second half of the project we expect further results and outputs:
* An MA thesis on Aristotle’s theory of digestion (Dmitry Ezrohi).
* A Ph.D. dissertation on layered bone structure (Esteban Marroquín Arroyave). (Collaboration with PI Joshua Milgram, Laboratory of Bone Biomechanics, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, HUJI).
*Articles that are forthcoming and in preparation include studies of:
---The anatomy and physiology of the digestive system according to Galen (PI).
---Ancient Roman ideas of pain and their anatomical location (PI).
---Aristotle’s understanding of the topographical relation between the heart and lungs and his method of empirical observation (Marroquín Arroyave, Veterinary Medicine, and Marco Vespa, Classics).
---Anatomical ideas and terminology: conceptions of the aorta, on laughter and anatomy (both by Vespa); Aristotle’s concept of bile (Ezrohi, Classics). Further papers are planned on Aristotelian and Galenic ideas resulting from our planned research.
---Ancient-Greek machine-learning models (PI and team members from data science).
---The atlas software and user research; as well as discussion of our novel method of analysis (PI and team members from classics, veterinary medicine, data science, modelling and product).
We are contributing an original exhibit concerning our method of textual analysis and anatomical visualisation to the forthcoming international online exhibition Comparative Guts.
We are already working on additional 3D models listed in the summary of performed work; we plan further 3D models and lexicon entries.
We will perform re-enactments of Galen’s dissections. These promise to yield groundbreaking insights concerning ancient anatomical ideas and particularly methods of research.We will publish the tailored dissection manuals that we will compose together with the visual documentation and written reports on our atlas and other digital platforms.
In the second half of the project we expect further results and outputs:
* An MA thesis on Aristotle’s theory of digestion (Dmitry Ezrohi).
* A Ph.D. dissertation on layered bone structure (Esteban Marroquín Arroyave). (Collaboration with PI Joshua Milgram, Laboratory of Bone Biomechanics, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, HUJI).
*Articles that are forthcoming and in preparation include studies of:
---The anatomy and physiology of the digestive system according to Galen (PI).
---Ancient Roman ideas of pain and their anatomical location (PI).
---Aristotle’s understanding of the topographical relation between the heart and lungs and his method of empirical observation (Marroquín Arroyave, Veterinary Medicine, and Marco Vespa, Classics).
---Anatomical ideas and terminology: conceptions of the aorta, on laughter and anatomy (both by Vespa); Aristotle’s concept of bile (Ezrohi, Classics). Further papers are planned on Aristotelian and Galenic ideas resulting from our planned research.
---Ancient-Greek machine-learning models (PI and team members from data science).
---The atlas software and user research; as well as discussion of our novel method of analysis (PI and team members from classics, veterinary medicine, data science, modelling and product).
We are contributing an original exhibit concerning our method of textual analysis and anatomical visualisation to the forthcoming international online exhibition Comparative Guts.
We are already working on additional 3D models listed in the summary of performed work; we plan further 3D models and lexicon entries.
We will perform re-enactments of Galen’s dissections. These promise to yield groundbreaking insights concerning ancient anatomical ideas and particularly methods of research.We will publish the tailored dissection manuals that we will compose together with the visual documentation and written reports on our atlas and other digital platforms.