Exploring Ancient History through Social Network Analysis of the Zenon Archive

Presentation of the talk "Exploring Ancient History through Social Network Analysis of the Zenon Archive", held at the University of Rostock on May, 23, 2023 in the lecture series "Digital Humanities im Fokus: Methoden, Anwendungen und Perspektiven".

Abstract:

The Zenon archive is the most extensive surviving collection of documents dating back to the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BCE), comprising over 1800 texts. It serves as a valuable source for gaining insight into the social dynamics of ancient Egypt. Specifically, this presentation explores Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a viable approach to analyzing and examining the archive's large quantities of historical textual evidence. The texts in question are written on papyri and focus on the daily dealings and administration of a rural estate in the Fayum, spanning between 263 and 229 BCE. In this presentation, we will explore how computational methods can help historians overcome the challenges of working on large and complex datasets by leveraging existing digital resources and methodologies in papyrology and digital humanities. Additionally, we will discuss the basics of SNA and its practical applications within the context of the Zenon archive. 

Bio:

Fernanda Alvares Freire is a research associate at the University of Rostock, working with Jun.-Prof. Ulrike Henny-Krahmer in the field of Digital Humanities. After her bachelor's and master's degrees in history at the University of Brasilia, she started her PhD studies in Ancient History at the University of Münster. Her research investigates the social relations within the texts of the Zenon Archive from the 3rd century BC, focusing on everyday businesses and social interactions. As a historian specializing in Ancient History, she is particularly interested in Digital Humanities, and her research combines historical approaches with the application of digital methods, such as social network analysis, data mining, and data management.