(new) database structure for ISMI

Conceptual objects in the database:

• (abstract-) text
• alias (title for text or name for person or place)
• manuscript
• codex (of one or more manuscripts)
• collection
• library
• person
• place

Objects

Texts

abstract texts (mostly with a specific title) that exist as one or more manuscripts.

Relations:

• is commentary on text
• is translation of text
• is redaction (revision, abbreviation, paraphrase, ...) of text
• has alias title
• was written by an author
• ...

Information:

• full title (transliteration)
• short title (translit)
• title in original script
• script
• language
• incipit (beginning) text sample
• explicit (end) text sample
• dedication text sample
• date of composition
• place of composition (relation)
• subject of text (hay'a, zīj, mīqāt, astrolabe, etc)
  • -> a canonical list of subjects should be present in the database
• type/genre of text (matn, sharḥ, taḥrīr, ...)
• format/structure of text (number of books, parts, chapters, sections)
• table of contents
• information whether the work has been published, translated, studied (relations)

Problems:

• is a translation another abstract text?
• alias titles e.g. greek, latin linked to translations?

Manuscripts

manuscripts are concrete written pieces of paper lying in a library.

Relations:

• manuscript is instance (exemplar) of a text
• is part of a codex
  • is part of a collection
  • is in a library
• was copied by a copyist
• had a patron (person)
• can be direct copy of another manuscript
• was copied/written in place

Informations:

• transliteration of title as written on the manuscript
• title as written on the manuscript
• MS number
• folios
• lines per page
• script
  • include comments on legibility, ink, etc
• distinguishing features (e.g. state of preservation)
• copy date
• colophon ("this was copied by") sample
• incipit/explicit if different from standard text
• information on diagrams, maps, tables
  • include number of diagrams, folios, color of ink, brief description
  • include number of tables if possible, folios, color of ink, brief description
• annotations/marginal notes

Problems:

• alternative MS/catalog numbers?
• how to manage annotations?

Codices

a codex is a physical, bound collection of manuscripts

Relations:

• contains one or more manuscripts
• was written in place
• is part of a collection
• is in a library
• can be direct copy of another codex
• was owned by person
• was patronized by person
• was copied by person

Information:

• dimensions
• material
• distinguishing features (e.g. presentation copy, decoration)
• table of contents (with titles and folio numbers)
• other information (including language(s) used in codex)
• owner(s) (relation)
• patron(s) (relation)
• reader(s) (relation)
  • for the above three: locations and dates if available
• information on additional material (diagrams, maps, tables, etc)

Problems:

• does every manuscript have to be in a codex?

Persons

persons are (real or hypothetical) people that had some relation to a manuscript/text.

Relations:

• is author of manuscript (text?)
• is author of commentary (manuscript/text?)
• is copyist of manuscript
• is patron of manuscript/text
• is owner of manuscript
• is annotator of manuscript
• is reader of manuscript
• is teacher/student of person
• is patron of person
• has alias names

Information:

• short name (translit)
• long name (translit)
• original script name
• birth/work/death date
• birth/work/death place

Problems:

• anonymous or insufficiently specified names
• alternative names (historical change?)

Anonymous authors:

• link to one generic Anonymous person (with optional notes)
• if more individuating information becomes available a new person will be created and linked as an author

Places

places are places that have some relation to a manuscript/text/person/library/...

Types:

• institution (Madrasa Mosque in Cairo, etc.)
• city area (Fustat in Cairo)
• city
• region (Egypt, Iran, Maghreb, etc.)

Relations:

• place is part of other place (city is part of region, etc)
• manuscript was written in
• person was born/lived/died in
• library is in
• has alias name (at certain time)

Information:

• name of place (translit)
• original script name
• location(?)

Problems:

• linking to historical names?

Alias names

alias titles or names for places and persons.

Relation:

• is alias of text/place/person

Information:

• name (translit)
• original script name
• script
• at a certain time

Collections

a manuscript is in a collection in a library.

Relations:

• contains manuscripts
• is part of a library

Information:

• collection name
• owner and historical information
• description of holdings

Libraries

a codex is in a library

Relations:

• contains codices
• contains collections
• is in a place

Information:

• name of library
• more info

Secondary literature

Items:

• bibliographical items (book/article/etc)
• later separate authors with aliases

Relations:

• covers text/manuscript/codex/collection/library or person

Tasks

Tasks that should be done with the database.

Examples

Edifying examples.

Questions

• historical record of manuscripts in libraries?
• historical record of author attribution?
• historical record of ownership?
• have the possibility to maintain a list of Titles which were wrongly attributed to an author in secondary literature
• collect secondary literature
• format of dates
• workflow for public and non-public entries in the display?