Lorsch Abbey Reconstruction
and Information System
Aims and the proposed research
What is planned?
We intend to generate a 3D model with a timeline for Lorsch Abbey. The political, cultural, religious and scientific connections of the abbey shall be pointed out and an extensive collection of data and interpretations will be built up into an information system.
The System shall accomplish the following:
History of research:
Different reconstructions and interpretations of the abbey are to be visualized. The data and interpretations which form the basis for the reconstructions will be embedded into the system. Thus it will be possible not only to see the different methods of work, but also the state of knowledge and ideologies on which the different reconstructions are based.
Revealing uncertainties:
The data basis for Lorsch Abbey leaves much room for interpretation. As different opinions about the records exist, we will try to define their probable truthfulness (level of confidence), and the legitimacy to include them into theories about the abbey. The resulting uncertainties (spatial, temporal and in the way the data is interpreted and used) will be shown in the model.
Visualizing new theories:
It should be possible to modify the model to present new hypotheses. An easy to handle system would be ideal to ensure that users with little computer literacy are still able to archive the results they want.
Verifying the model:
A user should be able to check the data and the interpretational basis of a model any time. For this, visualizing the data structure and connecting the model parts to their data basis is necessary, thus enabling a complete understanding of the model.
To provide a useful working ground for all these applications, the system must be up to date and extendable, e.g., to include some associated sites or former property of Lorsch Abbey.
Ways to display diverse levels of confidence, background information and relations between data have to be found.
What it should NOT be:
We want to avoid a photorealistic representation of research results, which does not offer to see the information it is based on. Uncertainties should NOT be hidden, instead the alternatives should be pointed out clearly. The only purpose should NOT be just to entertain.
How do we get there?—Data and interpretations
Data are...
small pieces of information taken from excavation reports, drawings, photographs, texts etc. but also intermediate interpretations of these pieces of information.
All these parts have to be assessed concerning their level of confidence.
Interpretations are...
what is keeping the data together. Different items of data are connected by the interpretations—they are set in relation and so form the hypotheses about Lorsch Abbey which are finally visualized in the reconstructions.
Again it has to be emphasised that we are not looking for a single ultimate reconstruction, but that we want to create alternatives, and to assess their plausibility by looking at the data and the interpretations they are based on.
A Network of Data and Interpretations
To see how a data and interpretation structure (argumentation network) could be built, its advantages and the points which need further refinement please view the updated pdf version of a presentation held at the university of Heidelberg in 2007.
Time line
On the one hand the time line will be used to show different epochs in the abbey history, on the other hand it will show which information was available to the researchers who were and are concerned with Lorsch Abbey. This will help to find out how strongly researchers were and are influenced by the state of knowledge of their time. It may also reveal how much influence comes from ideologies, society and personal experiences.