June 10, 2013

Helping in AncientLives

We could all dream to be like Indiana Jones once in a while, but to actually help in any archeological studies is not something anyone could have an opportunity of. However the online project of AncientLives is a great place to volunteer and somehow contribute to history is your own little way.


The papyri on displayed at this website were the product of the project's collaboration with various institutions like Oxford Papyrologists and Researchers, The Imaging Papyri Project, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project, the Egypt Exploration Society, etc. Plus these were discovered in Egypt were written many years ago. However, the collection proved to be so vast, it gave today's scholars such a drastically time-consuming job. The process of reading the papyri have been easier these past few decades due to the advancement of technology.. In Ancient Lives, and using the power of the internet, anyone could assist in this large-scale project. 

In the website, you could help by either transcribing ancient alphabet or measure the papyri. There are good tutorials you could use first before doing either work. The data gathered and combined from both human and computer intelligence would be most beneficial for identifying, translating and studying ancient texts and documents. 


Project director Dr Dirk Obbink said: 

"We aim to transcribe as much as possible of the original papyri, and then identify and reconstruct the text. No single pair of eyes can see and read everything. From scientists and professors to school students and ancient enthusiasts, everyone has something to contribute - and gain."
The project's overall goal is
"...To rapidly transform image data from papyri into meaningful information that scholars can use to study Greek literature and Greco-Roman Egypt; information that once took generations to produce."
So, if you've got any interest in history or ancient Egypt, this is about one of the best opportunities to be productive online.

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