DASI

digital archive for the study of pre-islamic arabian inscriptions

The card is the page containing all the information that has been catalogued with regard to a specific item in the archive – be it an epigraph, an object or a site. The cards for a given category (e.g. an object as opposed to a site) will include information specific to that category (see Editorial criteria) but all of the catalogue cards are formatted in a similar manner.
 
Every card is characterized by:
  • a field for the title (in the case of objects and inscriptions, the concordances will also be listed)
  • an image gallery (for the sites, the images of individual monuments will also be provided)
  • sections containing information and notes regarding the archive item itself
  • sections with basic data relating to the record linked to the card that is being consulted. For example, the card for an epigraph will also include information on the object inscribed and the relevant site. The links to the cards of these related items is provided
  • in the cards for sites, a geographic map is provided
  • a section for the pertinent bibliography.

Notes

Image gallery
By passing the cursor of the mouse over the image, a tool allows you to zoom in on specific parts. Beneath, information on the image will be given. To view the various images in the gallery, simply click on their thumbnails.

The images can be opened in a larger format using the slideshow modality: click on the selected image and then browse using the arrow command. A caption will be provided at the bottom of the image.
Expandable and reducible sections
Some of the sections are expandable and reducible: for example, the translation of an epigraph may be expanded with additional information, or pictures of the monuments at the archaeological site where it was found.
Text encoding
A unique aspect of this archive is that the cards for the epigraphs include the transcribed text of the inscription, where names and portions of text have been encoded. By clicking on a blinking marker you can visualize the names colour-coded for onomastic category or different portions of the text marked by icons at the beginning and the end. When this function is activated, passing the cursor of the mouse over the word or passage of interest will bring up a cloud identifying the type of name or the portion of the text .
 
To learn more about the text encoding, see the Editorial Criteria.