Abstract

Eastern Sicily (Plain of Catania) provides numerous examples of out-of-context inscriptions, as the territory has seen few archaeological excavations and many illegal digs; surveys, primarily, have revealed a hinterland dotted with Sikel and Greek settlements. In absence of systematic investigation, epigraphy becomes the only direct source for reconstructing the history of the territory, when analyzed alongside known archaeological, historical and topographical data. To approach this goal in such complex environments, inscribed artifacts should benefit from the best digitization possibilities available today, both on the textual–philological and the archaeological sides. In this regard, the poster presents a two-step digital workflow for epigraphic documentation: vector tracing in a CAD environment of the inscribed surface, to highlight letter strokes and material discontinuities, thereby supporting reading and evaluating textual integrations (1); Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), to enhance the three-dimensional perception of the support and provide museums and institutions with a reliable basis for documenting and enhancing the artifact, including its archaeological aspect (2).

A votive dedication carved on a moulded limestone block (SEG 58, 1038), found near the city of Adrano (Catania; ancient Adranon, c. 400 BC), offers an exemplary case: discovered on private property and associated with the indigenous site of Mendolito, it presents issues of contextualization and rendering that make essential this digital workflow proposal.

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