Oxford's Ancient Lives Website Lets You Decipher
Omar Yusuf — July 28, 2011 — Tech
References: ancientlives.org & gizmodo
Crowdsourcing is an ingenious resource and shouldn't be ignored; Oxford seems fully aware of this, as it manages the launch of Ancient Lives, the university's newest website.
Deciphering the secrets of archaic manuscripts is no easy task, which is why the Egypt Exploration Society has agreed to scan and upload papyrus texts onto the Ancient Lives site. The idea is to widen the scope of potentially qualified academics who are exposed to these rare, misunderstood papyri. Chiefly excavated from the dig site at Oxyrhynchus, an ancient Egyptian city, most of the texts describe mundane, colloquial activities.
Some interesting tidbits have already been discovered and partially translated via crowdsourcing, including a mythical, non-cannon Christian gospel and scores of ancient theatrical scripts. Who knows what could be discovered next!
Deciphering the secrets of archaic manuscripts is no easy task, which is why the Egypt Exploration Society has agreed to scan and upload papyrus texts onto the Ancient Lives site. The idea is to widen the scope of potentially qualified academics who are exposed to these rare, misunderstood papyri. Chiefly excavated from the dig site at Oxyrhynchus, an ancient Egyptian city, most of the texts describe mundane, colloquial activities.
Some interesting tidbits have already been discovered and partially translated via crowdsourcing, including a mythical, non-cannon Christian gospel and scores of ancient theatrical scripts. Who knows what could be discovered next!
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourcing Archaeology - The use of crowdsourcing technology for historical transcription allowing larger scopes of manuscripts to be deciphered could be applied to other industries with high volumes of written or recorded data.
2. Archaeological Data Analysis - Using crowdsourced transcription and data analysis to learn more about ancient civilizations could lead to innovative discoveries in fields such as anthropology, history, and archaeology.
3. Digital Archival Preservation - The digitization and use of crowdsourcing for historic preservation can be applied to more than just papyrus, it can be used to preserve a broad range of cultural heritage materials including art, literature, and scientific records.
Industry Implications
1. Academic Research - The academic research industry could apply crowdsourcing and digital transcription methods to expanding their research efforts and uncovering new insights.
2. Museum and Archival Preservation - Crowdsourced transcription and digital preservation can help museums and archives to better protect and preserve artifacts and manuscripts for study and interpretation.
3. Genealogical Research - Using crowdsourced transcriptions, data analysis, and digital archival preservation, genealogical researchers could potentially uncover new insights and connections in family lineages and histories.
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