Objective
The possibilities of implementing computer technology in the field of Egyptian antiquities and Egyptological research have long been ignored. During the last few years some museums have started to computerise their object documentation. Others are going to do so. The quantity and dispersion if Egyptian antiquities in collections all over the world impose the necessity of international co-operation and thus adoption of international conventions and standards to facilitate exchange of data. Russia can be proud of a rich and famous Egyptological tradition: two rich collections of Egyptian antiquities and a number of famous Egyptologists. Both collections have been opened up only partially and insufficiently. The new generation of Russian Egyptologists is missing know-how (Egyptological, computing) and tools for research such as booksand computers, because of insufficient professional education and finances. For some years the CCER has aimed at involving Russian Egyptology in the spreading network of computing Egyptological institutions. The project Egyptian Antiquities and Computing covers two different but strongly related projects. Teaching and training will be an important component in both projects.
Firstly a Pan-European Egyptological Network will be established to optimise the opening up of object-information. All participating museums agreed to accept 14 primary attributes as passport data (basic object information) for data exchange, and to fill them out in their own local databases in accordance with the international standard of the Multilingual Egyptological Thesaurus. The specialised software for processing Egyptological data in a relational database is being developed through international co-operation.
Secondly an electronic Egyptological databases will be implemented in order to joint research projects that will concentrate on the object's hieroglyphic texts and iconography. Two types of objects have been chosen to be published and studied in detail: stelae and funerary statuettes (shabtis). Artificial intelligence and expert systems will be introduced as tools of research.
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
Data not availableCoordinator
3508 TC Utrecht
Netherlands