The main publication of the findings and results of
Developmental Literacy in Early Italy will be a two-volume work published by the
Institute of Classical Studies. However, the databases of inscriptions and bibliography
are important research tools in their own right, and we hope to make
them available in searchable form on this website in due course.
Publication arrangements for Etruscan Literacy in
its Socio-Cultural Context will be published on this website in
due course.
Database strategy
The database is designed to be fully searchable, and to include
details of archaeological context and the relationship between text and
artefact as well as the inscription and its interpretation. The
contextual information to be recorded includes: location, type of site,
archaeological context, type of artefact, associated finds, dating
evidence. The description will include length of inscription, details of
script, direction of writing, and punctuation. Issues such as language
relationships, internal evidence of date, and interpretation of text
will be dealt with in the cases where good evidence exists. It will also
include visual material - photographs or drawings of text or artefacts -
where possible.
We aim to put the first
instalment of data onto this website in Spring 2004. This will be
primarily drawn from the inscriptions of north east Italy and will
include the database of inscriptions in the ancient Venetic script and
language.
Epigraphic data on the web
In the first instance, our web database will probably be configured
as an Access database, but
the
literacy research project fully supports the International
Epidoc Programme to introduce a common standard for epigraphic data
on the web. We intend to convert our current database to the
Epidoc XML protocols at some stage in the near future.
