Time modelling in digital humanities. Challenges posed by the development of a database of medieval charters

Abstract

Abstract Information management systems aimed at fully exploiting imperfect temporal data require advanced data modelling and data querying facilities. In this paper, we study how novel computational intelligence techniques can help to develop such facilities. More specifically, we describe how possibility theory can be used to model and handle the uncertainty that is inherent to vague, linguistic time specifications in a mathematically sound way. These mathematical time representations can then be stored in a database and advanced query evaluation techniques, for adequately coping with the represented uncertainty, can be used. Medieval charters are a typical example of documents on which related temporal information is often imperfect. To show the applicability of our technology, we illustrate how the development of the Diplomata Belgica database, a database describing medieval charters, can benefit from this novel technology. The added-value of the technology for future research in the humanities, in our case medieval history, is demonstrated by means of several illustrative query examples.