Courses and Seminars

The 15 hours of teaching will introduce students to digital methodologies for the analysis, modelling, and reuse of historical cartographic heritage. The course explores how digital technologies, such as semantic web standards, spatial ontologies, and linked open data (LOD), can be applied to the study of ancient and historical maps, combining theoretical perspectives with practical experimentation. Although each teaching unit is independent, the modules are designed to build progressively in conceptual and technical complexity. The programme includes lectures, seminars, workshops, and a project clinic, fostering a dialogue between archaeological research and the digital humanities. No previous technical knowledge is required, but students should have their own laptop and a stable internet connection.

1. Digital Annotations between Marginalia and Machines
   An introduction to digital and semantic annotation, linked open data ecosystems, and the evolution of annotation practices – from manual to AI-assisted – applied to cartographic and documentary heritage.
2. Past Places from Document to Data: Introduction to Historical Gazetteers
   A seminar on historical gazetteers and spatial data modelling, exploring how places can be represented through relationships rather than coordinates. Practical work includes creating and modelling ancient places, with examples from the AI-RURImap project.
3. Modelling Places as Relationships: Case Study Discussion and Practice
   A workshop on building spatial vocabularies and ontologies, discussing how to classify and formalise historical places and interpret the biases inherent in existing data models.
4. Digital Humanities Clinic: Bring Your Own Project!
   A collaborative session where students present their own spatial or digital heritage projects and receive expert feedback on methods, bibliography, and data workflows.

By the end of the course, students will understand the main digital approaches to cartographic and spatial heritage and will be able to analyse, model, and visualise historical data through semantic and interoperable digital frameworks, applying them independently in archaeological research.