Has digital humanities, particularly the study of Antiquity, reached the level of synthesising new research concepts, methods, and ultimately ‒ knowledge? This fundamental question is in the foundation of the new project “Upgrading the Historical Narrative: From Deultum to DigiDeultum” with scientific leader Prof. Dr. Lyudmil Vagalinski (NAIM–BAS). By combining traditional historical and archaeological methods with those of digital humanities and archaeological sciences (archaeometry, GIS, archaeoinformatics, etc.), the project explores whether there is a fundamental shift in the reconstruction of the historical narratives through the case study of the Roman colony of Deultum.
The story of ancient Deultum reveals the rise, transformation, and resilience of one of the most important Roman colonies in Thrace. Founded in AD 70 by veterans of the Legio VIII Augusta, the city developed into a thriving urban and military centre connected to the Black Sea and the wider Roman world. Through centuries of prosperity, invasions, reconstruction, and adaptation, Deultum preserved traces of changing political, social, and cultural realities that continue to shape our understanding of Late Antiquity today.
The project combines traditional historical and archaeological methods with those of digital humanities and archaeological sciences (archaeometry, GIS, archaeoinformatics, etc.) to study and reconsider the Roman colony of Deultum. The structure is divided into four main work packages.
Within the framework of this work package, the participation of the entire research team in activities related to the theoretical discussion of traditional and innovative methods in the study of the reconstruction of ancient history is foreseen.
This work package aims to implement an innovative interdisciplinary research approach in the study of an archaeological complex such as the Deultum Colony. In addition to experts in the field of archaeological research, the workflow will involve external specialists with diverse profiles.
The package and the selected coin artefacts create a highly suitable environment for testing the complete workflow, from processing the physical material to its analysis and interpretation through innovative hardware and software methodology. Working in this package allows the construction of a functional research paradigm applicable to other types of sources.
This package foresees activities to actively saturate the digital research environment with the data collected in the other work packages to create the necessary infrastructure to explore the DigiDeultum concept and its parameters.
The paper presents in detail all the opinions, published in the numismatic literature concerning the medallion minted by Deultum for caesar Diadumenian. After their thorough study and thanks to the XRF analysis of the item conducted by Boyka Zlateva, combined with all evidences for the historical context in the region of Thrace and Lower Moesia, the author inclines to view the medallion as an authentic piece, not a counterfeit.
