An interdisciplinary framework integrating traditional archaeological methods with digital technologies for comprehensive heritage documentation and analysis.
Methodology
Research Design
DigiDEULTUM employs a comparative methodological framework that examines the research potential of digitally enhanced approaches alongside traditional archaeological and historical methods.
The project investigates whether digital infrastructures enable new forms of historical knowledge, distinct interpretative models, and novel modes of synthesis. This inquiry is grounded in the case study of Deultum, whose extensive archaeological record provides an ideal foundation for methodological comparison.
Our approach integrates four interconnected work packages, each contributing specialized methods while maintaining coherence through shared data infrastructure and analytical frameworks.
Key Principles
1
Interdisciplinary Integration
Systematic combination of humanities scholarship, archaeological sciences, and computational methods within a unified research framework.
2
Comparative Methodology
Parallel application of traditional and digital approaches to the same archaeological contexts, enabling direct methodological comparison.
3
Open Infrastructure
Development of interoperable, standards-based data systems supporting long-term research sustainability and international collaboration.
Data Integration
A relational database architecture serves as the central infrastructure, linking stratigraphic contexts, artifact catalogs, 3D models, photographs, and analytical datasets within a unified system.
Semantic web technologies ensure interoperability with international archaeological data standards (CIDOC-CRM, Linked Open Data), enabling integration with external datasets and supporting long-term data sustainability.
All spatial data—excavation plans, geophysical survey results, artifact distributions—are managed through GIS layers, facilitating sophisticated spatial analysis and visualization across multiple scales.
Analytical Methods
Humanities
Archaeological Sciences
Digital Methods
Documentation Techniques
Experimental Component
The project includes targeted experimental applications of machine learning and computational analysis to archaeological datasets, exploring the potential and limitations of algorithmic pattern recognition in historical interpretation.
Project Structure
Work Packages
Historical & Archaeological Framework
Comprehensive study of Deultum through traditional archaeological and historical methods, establishing chronological sequences and contextual frameworks.
Digital Documentation & Acquisition
Systematic digital capture of archaeological data through photogrammetry, laser scanning, and geospatial technologies.
Data Integration & Analysis
Development of integrated database infrastructure and application of computational methods to archaeological datasets.
Dissemination & Public Engagement
Open-access publication of research outputs and creation of digital heritage platforms for scholarly and public audiences.
Integrated Research Framework
The four work packages operate as interconnected components within an integrated research system. Data flows bidirectionally between packages, with WP3 serving as the central hub for data integration and computational analysis.
Integrated Workflow
The methodological framework operates through continuous cycles of data acquisition, processing, and analysis. Field documentation feeds directly into the digital infrastructure, where it undergoes systematic processing and integration with existing datasets.
Analytical outputs inform ongoing fieldwork decisions, creating an iterative workflow that progressively refines interpretations. This integrated approach ensures that digital methods are not applied retrospectively but embedded within the research process from the outset.
All research outputs—datasets, 3D models, analytical tools—are published through open-access repositories, supporting reproducibility and enabling wider scholarly engagement with the project’s methods and findings.
The content of this page is based on the article Grozdanova, L. (2026). From Deultum to DigiDeultum: The Concept, Archaeologica Bulgarica, Supplement 10, Deutlum.