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Guidelines Database MAP

The MAP project database contains the names of deities from the Greek and Semitic worlds between 1000 BC and 400 CE. Only names, or divine onomastic sequences, composed of at least two elements are taken into account. The relational database in SQL language is based on three levels of data recording:

  • 1) the sources, i.e. the “objects” that bear these appellations within texts of a very varied nature;
  • 2) the attestations, i.e. a set of several onomastic elements referring to one or several divinities and combined to form an onomastic sequence;
  • 3) the elements, i.e. the minimal unit of meaning, the “brick” that is combined with one or several others to form a sequence.

Numerous metadata are associated with these three main tables; particular attention is paid to the location of the data and the agents involved in the onomastic sequences. In addition, each attestation or onomastic sequence is analyzed by means of a formula that highlights its structure and the links between the different elements. A bibliography table enriches the whole. Several query interfaces allow users to interrogate the database according to multiple criteria and search questions. The database is linked to a webmapping system that allows data to be mapped; it is also suitable for network analysis. The database is the result of a collective work; each contributor is identified by his or her initials.