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CultureLab Seminar II/2026
Computational egyptology
Place
Salle des conseils, 5th floor, Ecole nationale des chartes (65 rue Richelieu 75002 Paris)
Date
From 3.30 PM
The second session of the CultureLab will take place on Thursday 21st May 2026 at 3.30PM in the Salle des Conseils (5th floor, École nationale des chartes, 65 rue de Richelieu, 75002 Paris). Serge Rosmorduc (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) will talk about computational approaches to Egyptology.
Abstract
Encoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Modelling the Scribe or the Philologist?
Egyptian hieroglyphs have been encoded since the 1970s - or even earlier, if one considers lead type. But what, exactly, is being encoded? Researchers' expectations are far from uniform; they depend on their specialties and interests, the sources themselves, and are often the product of the discipline's history. Once this observation is made, it becomes clear that borderline cases are legion and that the ideal of a unique, universal encoding constantly eludes us. The notion of a sign variant is omnipresent in the discourse, yet its precise definition constantly clashes with reality. We will examine a number of concrete cases, look at the current state of encoding, and propose a potential path toward a more robust representation of texts.
[SAVE THE DATE]
Upcoming session of the CultureLab monthly seminar
Friday 19th June –3.30 PM: Alexandre François (Lattice, ENS-PSL) will present on evolving semantics and etymology.
Abstract
Encoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Modelling the Scribe or the Philologist?
Egyptian hieroglyphs have been encoded since the 1970s - or even earlier, if one considers lead type. But what, exactly, is being encoded? Researchers' expectations are far from uniform; they depend on their specialties and interests, the sources themselves, and are often the product of the discipline's history. Once this observation is made, it becomes clear that borderline cases are legion and that the ideal of a unique, universal encoding constantly eludes us. The notion of a sign variant is omnipresent in the discourse, yet its precise definition constantly clashes with reality. We will examine a number of concrete cases, look at the current state of encoding, and propose a potential path toward a more robust representation of texts.
[SAVE THE DATE]
Upcoming session of the CultureLab monthly seminar
Friday 19th June –3.30 PM: Alexandre François (Lattice, ENS-PSL) will present on evolving semantics and etymology.