IUENNA - openIng the soUthErn jauNtal as a micro-regioN for future Archaeology (original) (raw)

2023, OSF Preprints

The Go!Digital 3.0 project IUENNA – an acronym for “openIng the soUthErn jauNtal as a micro-regioN for future Archaeology” – embraces a comprehensive open science methodology. It focuses on the archaeological micro-region of the Jauntal Valley in Carinthia, Austria, with the Hemmaberg site and its associated locations (Globasnitz/Iuenna, Jaunstein, and St. Stefan) as key case studies. The Hemmaberg site serves as a central research focus and stands among the most extensively studied Late Antique hilltop settlements, dating from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD. This site acts as a pivotal reference point for early Christianity in the Southeast Alpine region, boasting at least five early Christian churches, burials, auxiliary structures, and the renowned Gothic pilgrimage church of St. Hemma and Dorothea, in addition to the Rosalia Grotto. However, over a century of research, initiated by citizen scientists in the early 20th century and later furthered by various actors, includes a diverse spectrum of sites and Hemmaberg is merely one element within a broader cultural landscape that extends from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages, encapsulating the diverse Jauntal Valley. IUENNA represents a collaborative endeavor in digital archaeology and digital humanities, involving a diverse set of stakeholders. These include kärnten.museum (the State Museum for Carinthia), the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), ACDH-CH at ÖAW, the Austrian Federal Monuments Authority (BDA), and the archaeological service company ARDIG. This project constitutes a novel initiative in Austrian Classical studies, offering a robust model for the active and sustainable long-term archiving of archaeological data. All existing archaeological records will be digitized and organized within an inclusive, hierarchical folder structure, and will be augmented with metadata. This data management strategy has the potential to serve as a model for future archaeological projects in Austria and beyond. Data accessibility will be guaranteed through its online presence in the ARCHE repository (A Resource Centre for the HumanitiEs) of the Austrian Center for Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage (ACDH-CH), as well as an open-source web-mapping application. This paper serves a dual purpose: it not only presents IUENNA's conceptual framework but also invites scholarly discourse for the project's conceptual refinement.