A S O R   P u n i c   P r o j e c t

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  While teaching at Leiden University, Jacob Hoftijzer published a list of seventeen epigraphic resources in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (RMO) for the journal OMROL (Oudheidkundige Mededelingen uit het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden te Leiden “Archaeological Announcements from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden”). The first nine were Punic and Neopunic stelae, the earliest brought into European collections (1-9), then four plaster casts exchanged with Christian Tuxen Falbe (CF*) from the Nationalmuseet Danmarks in Copenhagen (10-13), and four full-scale aquarelle drawings (14-17) made by Jean Emile Humbert (HTC). We list here an additional cast that Wilhelm Gesenius had seen (Numidica secunda) but that Hoftijzer himself failed to find in the storerooms (NMD ABb 91/RMO CF*7 tn2ign0001*), and an additional drawing that escaped his notice (HTC 78c5ᵇⁱˢ tn1cat6088*). Because some of these epigraphic texts were among the earliest studied and shared, this tranche has significant overlap with our Gesenius tranche.
  Elsewhere in the Low Countries, Hoftijzer recorded two inscriptions as unpublished (1961), both purchased by Gerard A. L. Bisseling as director of the Museum van het Onderwijs in Den Haag (“Museum of Education,” today the Museon-Omniversum). One entered the collection in Den Haag (M-O 9299 tn1cat6089*), the other in Leiden (RMO G 1955/5.1 tn1car2495*). In addition, again in OMROL, he recorded as unpublished three stelae that had been purchased on the art market by private collectors (1988).
  François Bron, however, noticed that four of these had already been published (1996)—recognizing RMO G 1955/5.1 as CIS I.2661, and the three in private collections as CIS I.3077, 3202, and 3280. He also recognized another stelae in the Low Countries as CIS I.3708 (Louvain-la-Neuve MuséeL MB402 tn1car3543*). This misclassification as unpublished, made by such an eminent scholar, one who had closely studied every inscription (cf. DISO, DNWSI), underscores the need for a comprehensive digital corpus in order that inscriptions be properly identified without replication.

  The inscriptions from the Netherlands and Denmark, which were part of the early exchange of plaster casts between institutions, have formed the basis of our 3D modelling initiative. Cast exchanges have allowed scholars (such as Gesenius) the opportunity to study epigraphic texts without the cost of travelling to scattered collections. Our efforts will further allow study without travel, as scholars can digitally manipulate artifacts on their screen (e.g. adjust lighting angles) or print 3D models in order to manipulate them, literally by hand.

  To view mocked-up samples made in anticipation of funding for what could be comprehensive digital corpus entries, click on highlighted proivisional CIP numbers (*) marked with additional plus (++) signs, namely Louvain-la-Neuve MuséeL MB402 (tn1car3543*), Leiden RMO H4ᵇⁱˢ (tn1car0273*), and Copenhagen NMD ABb 92 (tn1car0005*).
  Note that these are static lists, mock-ups rather than active search results from our database, presented here as proof-of-concept models, with epigraphic texts diplayed in line order and transcribed in Latin characters with diacritics.

  intro || texts

sample tranches :: Gesenius || Hadrumetum || Hoftijzer