Work

From archives to museum and back: transcribing, digitizing, and enriching cultural heritage and manuscript legacy data of the Villa del Casale of Piazza Armerina

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Legacy data from archaeological sites with long excavation histories present both challenges and opportunities for modern research. Such data - ranging from handwritten notes, excavation diaries, and photographs to artefacts and related inventories - often predate contemporary recording standards, yet they can hold invaluable information about archaeological sites that did not make into the publication record. This research situates itself within the broader theoretical framework of “archive archaeology,” in the context of a digitization project at the Villa del Casale. Using existing AI technologies such as Transkribus and the Handwriting Analysis Tool, it treats archives as subjects of study as well as repositories of information, experimenting with the effectiveness of these advanced digital technologies to transcribe and interpret unpublished handwritten legacy data in the form of archival materials related to old excavations at the Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina to contribute to the study of legacy data as it relates to the processing and analysis of handwritten field notes. Additionally, the project discusses the creation of wider digitization project of the Villa del Casale digital ecosystem of legacy data to enhance the dissemination, accessibility, and reuse of both primary and secondary research data through the use of the open-source web publishing platform Omeka Classic, designed for the creation and management of digital collections and exhibits. The approach taken in this research seeks to integrate digital technologies to bridge the gap between historical archives, archaeological legacy data, and contemporary archaeological inquiry.

Source: Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

DOI: 10.1016/j.daach.2025.e00441

Authors: Giulia Marsili, Stephan N. Hassam

Institutions: University of Bologna, Randolph College, Randolph–Macon College

Language: English

Topic: Digital Humanities and Scholarship

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,810

Funder: European Commission