Ancient sculpture databases, NEsp (Nouvel Espérandieu) constituting the documentary accompaniment of the traditional publications of the same name and RBR (Recueil des Bas-Reliefs) conserving and promoting the archives of the old Recueil of Emile Espérandieu, put online in 2006, must be perpetuated and modernized to respond to the current research landscape and fit into the practices of the digital humanities community.
We want to go beyond the framework of NEsp
to create a collaborative research space on Roman sculpture in Gaul and in a Euro-Mediterranean context, the realization of which will rely on the scientific skills and technical know-how present at the Camille Jullian Center (CCJ) and at the Institute for Research on Ancient Architecture (IRAA). Its ambition is to offer the scientific community a single complete platform, a pooling tool, resulting from the evolution of existing bases, from data collection to their publication, also taking into account issues of data security and sustainability. Technically, the platform will be based on national and international protocols and standards which ensure interoperability and the structuring of information, in particular on the use of the pivotal PACTOLS vocabulary from the partner Frantiq. The proposed platform will serve as a training support (thematic and technical) and will occupy a privileged place in the network for disseminating scientific and technical culture to a wider audience. We will focus on regional lapidary collections thanks to strong existing links with the museum and cultural institutions of Marseille and Arles, partners in this project. Cultural mediation actions will be carried out jointly. This project brings together specialized teaching and research organizations and museums around the construction of an instrument for analyzing, referencing, and promoting regional heritage, in which scientific and cultural issues are closely linked.
