Prosopographic Database of Catholic Missions in Georgia

Abstract

The paper shows how the Digital Humanities serve as both a methodological framework and a conceptual lens through which we can explore complex historical phenomena, such as the interactions between Europe and Georgia. By harnessing digital tools, we can analyze vast datasets, visualize intricate relationships, and reconstruct historical narratives that were previously obscured by the limitations of traditional research methods. Digital methodologies can augment our understanding of socio-cultural exchanges and political dynamics in medieval and modern history. The study of the achievements of Catholic missionaries in Georgia in the 17th-19th centuries is based on Italian, Latin, French, Russian and Georgian sources, most of which are not yet published. The primary sources are preserved in Italian archives and hold significant value from the religious, cultural, philological, social, legal, political, and historical perspective. By applying cutting-edge digital humanities methods, particularly through the creation of a prosopographic database based on factoids, we will be able to explore and visualize key issues in the social history of this period.
In the prosopographic database of missions we developed, we convert data from primary sources into a digital format, and process it according to the required standards. The data is then integrated into the database structure.
As a result of our research, we have created a new platform in digital humanities − a bilingual prosopographic database of Catholic missions of Georgia. This resource is valuable in many ways, as it enables the study of the interactions between religious groups. It also sheds light on the political and cultural orientations of the kings and princes, revealing a clearer picture of the relationships between the principalities.