For information on how to use the tool, please refer to the list of tutorials.

About the CeVICA Database

CeVICA is a database developed as part of the PhD thesis entitled “Étude chronologique, économique et culturelle de la vaisselle du Piano della Civita à Artena (Latium) depuis la République romaine jusqu’à l’Antiquité tardive” (S. Dienst, defended in September 2024 at the University of Liège, under the supervision of X. Deru – available on ORBi). Initially focused, as its name suggests, on the study of artifacts from a specific excavation in central Italy, this research quickly revealed the need for a regional approach in order to properly interpret the data, both chronologically and geographically.

Accordingly, nearly 70 archaeological excavations and field survey campaigns conducted in the region of Rome and Latium Vetus, and published between 1935 and 2018, were re-examined. The data, produced by researchers belonging to different methodological schools, were standardised using established typologies (and, in some cases, newly developed ones, particularly for coarse ware). This work involved a comprehensive re-study of the finds, generating tens of thousands of inventory records.

Why an online database?

Publishing these data in the form of tables or Excel files seemed insufficient:

• Tables embedded in the text do not allow for optimal data use, as detailed comparisons require them to be laboriously recopied, which is also prone to error.
• Excel files, although practical, separate the data from their context (site descriptions and methodology), requiring users to constantly switch between different resources.

To address these challenges, DBCer was developed immediately after the completion of the thesis. This tool made it possible to:

• Share inventory data either privately or publicly.
• Provide the contextual data necessary for their interpretation.
• View inventories online and download them.
• Standardise encoding syntax, facilitating comparisons between sites.

Development: DBCer, CeVICA and LOGACer

In its initial version, DBCer also incorporated the relational approach now found in CeVICA/LOGACer, and aimed to host data from other projects, an ongoing challenge in ceramic studies. However, the approach chosen presented three major issues in relation to these objectives:

1. The relational system, which provided distribution maps and required consistency in the use of reference systems, was poorly suited to the visualisation of heterogeneous data.
2. Conversely, DBCer lacked a dedicated analytical tool suited to ceramic studies and therefore required constant export (and adaptation) of the data into other software, making it less relevant as a project-based research tool.
3. Finally, the framework used (Django) required configuration of institutional servers, which made the deployment and reuse of DBCer complex.

To address these issues, the project was divided into several strands following the thesis defence:

1. DBCer was simplified to improve interoperability and broaden its use for inventory deposition, in collaboration with the University of Lille and Xavier Deru. This streamlined version is hosted on Huma-Num.
2. CeVICA, an enhanced version of DBCer, was specialised for hosting data concerning central Italy during Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, and is hosted by the University of Liège.
3. LOGACer emerged from the need to integrate basic tools (seriation, graphing and mapping) directly into the database, thereby avoiding the proliferation of external software for basic data processing. Designed as a modular and collaborative tool, it is now being developed and maintained as a standalone infrastructure.

The framework was also completely redesigned, with development moving to PHP, which is much easier to deploy on other servers.

Open Science and collaborations

CeVICA is part of an Open Science approach. Researchers who share this vision can integrate their own data into the database, either publicly or with restricted access, thereby centralising resources and facilitating their cross-referencing without duplicating efforts.

Note: The data reworked for the publication of the first part of the thesis (submitted to Archaeopress) have not yet been integrated into this online version.

Intellectual Property and Data Protection

• User responsibility: Each contributor is responsible for the intellectual property of the data they deposit. Unpublished data remain the property of their authors unless otherwise stated.
• Confidentiality: No data are encrypted (except passwords). I undertake not to access or use data marked as private without authorisation.
• Ongoing improvements: For any questions or suggestions concerning data protection, please use the contact form below.

Software Architecture

For more information about the technical infrastructure, please visit the page dedicated to LOGACer. Hosting is provided by the SEGI of the University of Liège (ULiège).

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about the database or the information it contains, you can use the contact form below.

Enjoy browsing!

- Simon Dienst

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