SCRATCHING THE SURFACE: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON …jmbsym/presentations/Bowman.pdf · scratching...
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SCRATCHING THE SURFACE: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON ANCIENT
TEXTS
ALAN BOWMANCAMDEN PROFESSOR OF ANCIENT
HISTORY
Tab.Vindol.I 25 (= II 247)
1983 transcript: c…io inmatura ad metalla
1994 transcript: Lepidinam tuam a me saluta
Fragment of a stilus tablet. Note the strong highlight and cast shadows
The strokes detected that conform to a model of shadow adjacent to highlight
Idealised model of an incision
‘SALE OF A FRISIAN OX’1917 VERSION:GARGILIUS SECUNDUS N(UMMIS)CXV A S[T]EL[O] REPERIIBEEOSO VILA LOPETEIRITE UTI L(ICET) BOUEMEMI TESTE CESDIO C(ENTURION)ILEG(IONIS) V MUTO ADMETOC(ENTURION)I LEG(IONIS) I
R(EDHIBITIO) I(US) C(IVILE) A(BESTO) EMTUM
C FUUFIO CN MINICIO COS V [I]DUS S[EPTEMBRES]
R(EBUS) P(RAESTARI) R(ECTE) LILUS
DUERRETUS VET(ERANUS)Back: T(ITUS) CESDIUS T F LEG VN(UMERIUS) IUNNIUS MARCI FTI LIEUS EREPUS LEG V NUMERII FCAIUS TI F SECEDUUSV(ENDITORIS) IPSIUS
2009 VERSION:CARO IULIA(E) SECUNDAEQUOS EA REDEREDEBO Q UA DIE
PETIE-RIT AUT AD QUEMEA RES PERTINEBI(T)ACTUM
..II K
MAR-TIA(S) G IR .C.EMIUMC FUF(.)IO
GEMIN-{I}O CO(N)S(ULE) INTERPRETA-QUADRATUS UIT (vacat)Back:(Left panel)
(Right panel)T CASSIUS TR(IBUNUS) LEG(IONIS) VM IUNNIU(S) MIL(ES) N (UMERI)BATAUO
RUM (CENTURIAE)(vacat)
BONOMO-TI
CATURIX
SEC[[....]]'UNDAE'IPSIUS
Knowledge elicitation
Papyrology Reading Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97Sequential arguments
Rea
ding
Lev
el U
sed
Reading Level
Result of a transcript of a one-hour discussion between AKB/RSOT, with “knowledge” categorised using the McClelland-Rumelhart theory of reading.
Key to “Reading level”:
1. Stroke/feature
2. Character
3. Word/morphemic unit
4. Grammatical
5. Meaning of text fragment
Interpretation as a process of constraint propagation
HIGH LEVEL PERCEPTS• Artefacts with writing from northwestern Europe,
first century ADSome range of materials (potsherds, graffiti, metal, stone) and languages
• Writing on wood in classical antiquityGreek and Latin documents, different kinds of writing-tablets
• Texts written in LatinCursive, capital, literary, documentary on variety of media
MID-LEVEL PERCEPTS• Stilus tablets used in various formats
Multiple sets (x2, x3), writing back and front, seals etc., including some practices indicating date. Not considered in original edition which assumes we have a complete document – now seems unlikely (deduced from content).
• Business documents, contracts of sale, legal agreements etc.Original hypothesis that tablet belongs to this category still appears valid, though neither original text nor the new one precisely fit formulae of comparable material. General similarity and assumption that at this date and place such documents might be more informal
• Latin texts written in Old Roman Cursive (ORC), pre-250 ADGeneral character of handwriting, might be challenged by specific palaeographical observations or by evidence which supported a date post-250, leading to reconsideration of classification of scripts.