LA GEO-LOCALIZZAZIONE DEL MATERIALE EPIGRAFICO DEL GRANDE ARCHIVIO L.2769 (EBLA, SIRIA): OBIETTIVI E PROSPETTIVE NEL QUADRO DEL PROGETTO EBLA DIGITAL ARCHIVES

Abstract

The central archive of Ebla (Syria, ca. 2.400 BCE) provide us with unique details on archival practices in antiquity,
as the primary archaeological context of the individual tablets within the archive is roughly known.
Despite minor misplacements, a reliable reconstruction of the archive at the moment of the collapse of the
room hosting it is largely possible, on the basis of excavation data carefully recorded by the members of the
archaeological mission digging the site. However, until now the study of the Ebla material from the point of
view of archivistics remained difficult, as the relevant data for the geo-localization of the epigraphic evidence
unearthed there were unaccessible to scholars, as well as in a format unsuitable for digital analysis. The paper
focuses on key aspects that impact on current research of the Ebla archive, with special reference to the
nature of primary archaeological data, best digitization strategies for preserving such information, as well
as the implementation of digital tools for the integration of spatial and philological data within a dedicated
platform.