The Amphora Project an online resource for the study of Roman Amphorae Paul Cripps, University of Southampton, School of Humanities; Archaeology.

Introduction Overview of project Team Aims The online resource Database Image collection Website Live Demonstration!

Overview of project

Team

Aims

The online resource

Database

Image collection

Website

Live Demonstration!

Project overview AHRC funded major project 3 year project A number of people involved Simon Keay (Project Manager) David Williams (Senior Research Fellow & Project Supervisor) Penny Copeland & Jill Philips (photography, illustration, content) Paul Cripps (database development) Jo Gilham (website/database development) Graeme Earl and Tony Austin (various things!) External contributors (content)

AHRC funded major project

3 year project

A number of people involved

Simon Keay (Project Manager)

David Williams (Senior Research Fellow & Project Supervisor)

Penny Copeland & Jill Philips (photography, illustration, content)

Paul Cripps (database development)

Jo Gilham (website/database development)

Graeme Earl and Tony Austin (various things!)

External contributors (content)

Aims and objectives To provide an online introductory resource for the study of Roman amphorae Aimed at non-specialist users To provide an online reference collection of amphora types and associated information Written descriptions Drawings Photographs

To provide an online introductory resource for the study of Roman amphorae

Aimed at non-specialist users

To provide an online reference collection of amphora types and associated information

Written descriptions

Drawings

Photographs

The resource Comprises A database holding textual data and paths to multimedia objects A website which provides a comprehensive interface to the database Resides with the Archaeology Data Service A permanent managed home for digital archaeological resources Accessible using standard web browser technology

Comprises

A database holding textual data and paths to multimedia objects

A website which provides a comprehensive interface to the database

Resides with the Archaeology Data Service

A permanent managed home for digital archaeological resources

Accessible using standard web browser technology

The resource - contents Wealth of information 217 Amphora Types 814 individual published references with 1594 occurrences 1900 images Drawings (574) Hand specimens (366) Photographs of whole or partial amphorae (498) Photographs of thin sections (457)

Wealth of information

217 Amphora Types

814 individual published references with 1594 occurrences

1900 images

Drawings (574)

Hand specimens (366)

Photographs of whole or partial amphorae (498)

Photographs of thin sections (457)

The database - overview Relational data structure Controlled vocabularies where possible Fabric types Diagnostic characteristics Proper names eg authors Designed and loaded with data using Microsoft Access Simple and easy to use Customised interface for data entry and maintenance Migrated to Oracle at ADS Enterprise level DBMS capable of supporting many transaction requests from web-server

Relational data structure

Controlled vocabularies where possible

Fabric types

Diagnostic characteristics

Proper names eg authors

Designed and loaded with data using Microsoft Access

Simple and easy to use

Customised interface for data entry and maintenance

Migrated to Oracle at ADS

Enterprise level DBMS capable of supporting many transaction requests from web-server

The database - structure Relational data structure But influenced by ontological approaches to archaeological information Particularly the nature of types, typologies and classification Core is one self referencing table AmphoraTypes Amphorae can have subtypes and supertypes Recursive relationship rather than enforced artificial heirarchy

Relational data structure

But influenced by ontological approaches to archaeological information

Particularly the nature of types, typologies and classification

Core is one self referencing table

AmphoraTypes

Amphorae can have subtypes and supertypes

Recursive relationship rather than enforced artificial heirarchy

The database – conceptual ER AmphoraType Is subtype of / is supertype of Photographs Drawings Published References

The database - contents Each amphora type has a number of free-text descriptive attributes created from submitted texts and published sources Contents of amphora Origins and occurrences Fabric Distinctive features Date range Supported by standardised categorical attributes to facilitate structured querying Controlled vocabularies Used by online search facilities

Each amphora type has a number of free-text descriptive attributes created from submitted texts and published sources

Contents of amphora

Origins and occurrences

Fabric

Distinctive features

Date range

Supported by standardised categorical attributes to facilitate structured querying

Controlled vocabularies

Used by online search facilities

Images and Image Processing The resource contains many images to support the text All presented as rasters for web delivery Jpeg Drawings created using CorelDraw Drawn to scale Artistic conventions

The resource contains many images to support the text

All presented as rasters for web delivery

Jpeg

Drawings created using CorelDraw

Drawn to scale

Artistic conventions

Images and Image Processing Many presented as ‘zoomifyable’ images Free Flash based software from www.zoomify.com Works on OSX and Windows using a web browser and a plugin User can zoom in/out and pan around the image A desktop application prepares the image by slicing the original image into segments, resampling as needed and storing metadata in an xml file

Many presented as ‘zoomifyable’ images

Free Flash based software from www.zoomify.com

Works on OSX and Windows using a web browser and a plugin

User can zoom in/out and pan around the image

A desktop application prepares the image by slicing the original image into segments, resampling as needed and storing metadata in an xml file

A web-based resource Dynamic interface to the database Search facilities Browse catalogues Coldfusion ADS look and feel Common across projects Easy to use Non-linear experience Possible to approach resource from any angle

Dynamic interface to the database

Search facilities

Browse catalogues

Coldfusion

ADS look and feel

Common across projects

Easy to use

Non-linear experience

Possible to approach resource from any angle

Catalogue of Fabrics

Catalogue of Amphorae

Amphora pages - main

Amphora pages - images

Amphora pages - fabrics

Published References

Search Tools