• Does the Object (Still) Matter?: Ancient Petitions, Network Analysis, and Materiality

    Author(s):
    James Buffington Harr III (see profile)
    Date:
    2019
    Item Type:
    Presentation
    Meeting Title:
    Liberact V
    Meeting Org.:
    North Carolina State University
    Meeting Loc.:
    J. B. Hunt Library, Raleigh, NC
    Meeting Date:
    14-15 November 2019
    Tag(s):
    Network analysis, Materiality
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/04kz-5d70
    Abstract:
    My project will be an interactive web-based visual representation of medieval communication networks using petitionary texts. I am currently researching methods to reposition these 13th century petitions as a form of communication while viewing them as an early form of social media. Typically these petitions were either grievances or requests made to the king seeking favor or assistance. By analyzing the data that is found in each of these petitions both through a database found at the National Archives in the United Kingdom and through network visualizations, I can look at the smaller storylines within the larger system. I am also studying the objects themselves including the handwritten information which is how I plan on transcribing and editing the texts using TEI markup. The goal is to make this model transferable for use with other collections of historical texts and for digital humanities projects where the collections, including the digitized images, the data, and the relationships established can be curated for educational use. With almost 5,200 petitions just in TNA, SC8, it is not foreseeable that the project will be complete in my lifetime; however, a working model on how one can approach this dataset will be somewhat firm within the next two years. I suppose, as this is a tool to study medieval culture, but also historical communication networks, the product is “done” when a non-specialist can navigate, contribute, and understand the project.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
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