Articles by Paola Donati Giacomini

The aim of this paper consists in analysing family-structure in a Roman community (Ariminum) using epigraphical data. Patriarchal extended family (typical of Mediterranean area) was absent in Roman age and besides we note the presence of nuclear family. Ariminenses had few children. It depends on several factors; for instance, on a high death-rate at birth, on a temporary situation of sterility in consequence of prolonged nursing, birth-control, food, living standards. Death-rate is high in the age-band 16-30 years, but only 10% of the documents contain biometric data, whose presence is closely related to the reader's emotions it could stir up.

Commencing with a review of the application of information processing to epigraphy, the use of image analysis and pattern recognition for the identification of epigraphic workshops is proposed. The project consists of the following steps: a) the collection of coeval documents from one and the same region (e.g., an ancient community); b) the extrapolation of single characters to be superimposed on the same texts in order to proceed to a statistical analysis of variations; c) the development of an “average” pattern; d) the superimposition (manual or automatic) of the pattern within the single texts, so as to ascribe them to the different workshops. An application of the method by the Centre for Textual Studies, Oxford, is described. The application allows rapid access to the PHI CD-ROM, developed and distributed by the Packard Humanities Institute, Los Altos, California.

The dominant method of working has changed and is changing at an ever-increasing speed, also for the epigraphists: many computer applications are today available to process epigraphical data. This article provides a rapid survey of the major types of computer based projects in epigraphy. The procedure currently used at Bologna is explained here: its purpose is to produce an index of forms in Roman inscriptions. Data entry is still in progress, through the application of a set of utilities that has been written, to allow a two way transfer of data between WS and dBase III.