Epigraphic Database Heidelberg: Difference between revisions

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* Director: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Géza Alföldy
* Director: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Géza Alföldy


=== Concept ===
=== Description ===


(from the EDH web-site)
The Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg (EDH) is a searchable resource that provides texts, bibliographic citations, descriptive data and images for Latin and Greek inscriptions of the Roman Empire.  EDH forms an essential component of the Electronic Archives of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (EAGLE), functioning as the primary repository for inscriptions from the Roman provinces. It is directed by Christian Witschel, who took over in 2007 from the project’s founder, Géza Alföldy. Witschel is assisted by a research team at Heidelberg, and a growing number of external collaborators worldwide. The project was founded in 1986, and put its first data online in 1997. The project website provides a full history.


The aim of the project Epigraphic Database Heidelberg (EDH) is to integrate Latin inscriptions from all parts of the Roman Empire into an extensive database. Since 2004 Greek inscriptions from the same chronological timespan are also being entered. It consists of three databases the Epigraphic database, the Epigraphic Bibliography and the Photographic Database. It exists at an international level alongside other database projects, which serve as a working tool for the swift and simple collection, viewing, supplementing and interdisciplinary analysis of epigraphic material. Furthermore it is possible to the create KWIC indices and to combine the stored information as freely as possible
As of January 2009, EDH contained texts for over 53,000 inscriptions, together with full records for over 12,000 bibliographic items and over 17,000 images of inscriptions in addition to about 5,000 images linked from other online databases. Many of the texts in EDH are revised or corrected from previous print publications on the basis of autopsy, or with reference to a squeeze or photograph. An increasing number of print-oriented epigraphic projects are simultaneously providing EDH with electronic copies of newly edited inscriptions slated to appear in their publications.


At present, the Epigraphic database contains over 36.000 inscriptions and thus includes most of the especially noteworthy inscriptions published outside the main editions. In contrast to similar projects, the database presents revised and often corrected versions. Control of this sort is above all necessary in the case of earlier publications, which do not fulfill the standards of modern textual editorial practice. Moreover, the database is not confined to the mere texts, but links them to all the available bibliographical data and information on the inscriptions proper and on the monuments or objects they are inscribed upon. Time-consuming though it is, by means of this method of working the database meets high scholarly demands.
The current database and its interface permit users to discover content by searching on a combination of the many descriptive, bibliographic and full-text fields in the three databases that house the project’s data: the Epigraphic Text Database, the Epigraphic Bibliography and the Photographic Database. Crosslinks in the text database provide easy access to corresponding bibliographic and photographic information in the other databases. An array of “simple,” “complex,” and “expert” search interfaces support these actions.
 
The EDH interface has been localized for German and English readers. It provides various helps for users, as well as comprehensive information about the project, its history and collaborators. The web interface employs forms, which unfortunately makes it difficult to provide links to individual components of EDH. There does not seem to be any simple way to discover a stable URL that could be used to link to a single record. Users’ browsers must have Javascript turned on.


[[category:Projects]]
[[category:Projects]]
[[Category:Epigraphy]]
[[Category:Epigraphy]]

Revision as of 20:42, 29 October 2009

Availablility

  • Director: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Géza Alföldy

Description

The Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg (EDH) is a searchable resource that provides texts, bibliographic citations, descriptive data and images for Latin and Greek inscriptions of the Roman Empire. EDH forms an essential component of the Electronic Archives of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (EAGLE), functioning as the primary repository for inscriptions from the Roman provinces. It is directed by Christian Witschel, who took over in 2007 from the project’s founder, Géza Alföldy. Witschel is assisted by a research team at Heidelberg, and a growing number of external collaborators worldwide. The project was founded in 1986, and put its first data online in 1997. The project website provides a full history.

As of January 2009, EDH contained texts for over 53,000 inscriptions, together with full records for over 12,000 bibliographic items and over 17,000 images of inscriptions in addition to about 5,000 images linked from other online databases. Many of the texts in EDH are revised or corrected from previous print publications on the basis of autopsy, or with reference to a squeeze or photograph. An increasing number of print-oriented epigraphic projects are simultaneously providing EDH with electronic copies of newly edited inscriptions slated to appear in their publications.

The current database and its interface permit users to discover content by searching on a combination of the many descriptive, bibliographic and full-text fields in the three databases that house the project’s data: the Epigraphic Text Database, the Epigraphic Bibliography and the Photographic Database. Crosslinks in the text database provide easy access to corresponding bibliographic and photographic information in the other databases. An array of “simple,” “complex,” and “expert” search interfaces support these actions.

The EDH interface has been localized for German and English readers. It provides various helps for users, as well as comprehensive information about the project, its history and collaborators. The web interface employs forms, which unfortunately makes it difficult to provide links to individual components of EDH. There does not seem to be any simple way to discover a stable URL that could be used to link to a single record. Users’ browsers must have Javascript turned on.