Abstract

Historical inscriptions represent a crucial yet still underexplored source for the study of medieval and early modern written culture in Central Europe. In the territory of present-day Slovakia, historically part of Upper Hungary, many inscriptions remain undocumented, unpublished, or preserved only in archival records.

The aim of our research is to study inscriptions from the territory of present-day Slovakia using an integrated methodology that combines fieldwork, epigraphic analysis, digital humanities tools, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Inscriptions will be identified through visitation protocols, historical inventories, and previous scholarly literature, and subsequently documented during field research in several historical counties, including Bratislava, Tekov, Hont, Abov, and Liptov. Standardized epigraphic procedures will be used, including photographic documentation, transcription, palaeographic description, and contextual analysis. During field research, inscriptions will be documented using high-resolution digital photography, metric description, and geolocation (GPS). Each inscription will be recorded together with information about its carrier (e.g., bells, tombstones, architectural elements, liturgical objects), material, dimensions, condition, and historical context. The collected corpus will form the basis for a series of printed monographs as well as thematic analytical studies addressing inscription carriers, linguistic and palaeographic features, and the social and cultural functions of epigraphic texts.

A key outcome of the project will be the development of an open digital portal providing public access to the documented inscriptions through a searchable database and georeferenced map interface. In addition, a pilot AI-based tool developed in cooperation with the Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies (KInIT) will assist in the automatic detection of inscription references in digitized visitation protocols.

By integrating traditional epigraphic scholarship with digital technologies, the project aims to provide the first comprehensive corpus of historical inscriptions from this region and to contribute to a broader understanding of epigraphic culture in Central Europe.

Keywords: epigraphy, inscriptions, present-day Slovakia, Upper Hungary, written culture, digital humanities, cultural contacts

Back to Day 1 programme