Ontology or meta-model for retrieving reasoning in documents: The Arkeotek project

1. Ontology or meta-model for retrieving reasoning in documents:The Arkeotek project N. Aussenac-Gilles (IRIT – Toulouse, France) Valentine Roux and Blanche de Saizieu (Préhistoire et technique, MAE, Nanterre) Jean-Claude Gardin (CNRS) Philippe Blasco (Editions Epistèmes) The logicist program Requirements for an “ontology” used for document annotation Possible reuse of CRM and contributions to CRM The Arkeotek project : http://www.arketotek.org/ The Arkeotek Journal : http://www.thearkeotekjournal.org/ Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

2. Inferencerule Inferencerule Context: The “logicist program” (by J.C.Gardin) • Goal: improve the scientific written production • Higher reading efficiency • Improve communication • Reduce the time and cost of diffusion • Proposed solution: apply “logicism” to archaeology (Grize : mathematical logic) Final Propositions (findings, conclusions) IntermediatePropositions (assertions) Initial propositions (data descriptions) Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

3. Interpretative propositions Initial propositions P0/1 Data findings Antecedent P1/1 P0/2 Data P3/1 P0/3 Data P1/2 P0/4 P2/1 P0/5 Antecedent Data Has-Antecedent Assertion (block) From natural language to logicist diagrams • Turns natural language writings into a set of short assertions in NL (propositions) and a diagram that makes explicit the rules connecting propositions • Data may be obtained from observations, comparison or reference documents Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

4. SOURCE TEXT La fonction des outillages en matières dures animales et en silex au Néolithique final, V. Beugnier et Y. Maigrot, 2005, BSPF, n°2, 335-344 « Le silex joue par contre un rôle réduit dans le travail du bois. A la Motte-aux-Magnins ABC, seules 8 pièces ayant fonctionné par raclage et rainurage ou sciage ont été identifiées. Une fois de plus, il s’agit d’éclats présentant des bords plutôt fins, uniquement destinés aux opérations délicates d’aménagement de décors et de finition d’objets tels que les peignes en buis qu’on retrouve dans les sites. » LOGICIST RE-WRITING P0/ -A la Motte-aux-Magnins ABC, seules 8 pièces ayant fonctionné par raclage et rainurage ou sciage ont été identifiées P0/ - Il s’agit d’éclats présentant des bords plutôt fins, uniquement destinés aux opérations délicates d’aménagement de décors et de finition d’objets tels que les peignes en buis qu’on retrouve dans les sites. P1/ - Le silex joue un rôle réduit dans le travail du bois Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

5. A system to retrieve information in the Arkeotek collection Is knapping stone used for wooden object manufacturing ? • Localize answers in different pieces of documents over the collection • Take into account the role of each paragraph in argumentation to show first either interpretative or initial propositions • -> add Semantic annotations Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

6. Ontology + Term occurrences Semantic indexing New Indexing Tagged documents Validation Manual annotation How indexing may benefit from the ontology and the SCD text structure ? corpus Heuristic propagation through SCD links Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

7. Manufacturing operations using knapping stone Location Archaeological object Knapping stone or slim shape stone wooden objects Archaeological object wooden objects Manufacturing operations using knapping stone Knapping stone (as type-of Archaeological object) Manufacturing wooden objects Annotating propositions with concepts P0/ -A la Motte-aux-Magnins ABC, seules 8 pièces ayant fonctionné par raclage et rainurage ou sciage ont été identifiées. P0/ - Il s’agit d’éclats présentant des bords plutôt fins, uniquement destinés aux opérations délicates d’aménagement de décors et de finition d’objets tels que les peignes en buis qu’on retrouve dans les sites. P1/ - Le silex joue un rôle réduit dans le travail du bois. Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

8. Examples of requests to be answered • Questions about scientific data and results in the field • What are the steps of the processing chain for beads? • Which techniques have been used in India for manufacturing beads? • How have pottery production techniques been transmitted over the Senegal Valley? • Questions about scientific methods or techniques • Which [investigation] technique can be used to identify the manufacturing period of potteries? • Which are the possible [investigation] methods to study human skills? Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

9. result What should the meta-model / ontology contain for such annotations? • Concepts for describing archeological objects, locations, periods, manufacturing processes • Concepts for describing investigationtechniques, methods, scope, goal and results in the archeology of techniques • Terms to reflect lexical variability and diversity Harappan hard stone beads can be classifiedaccording to three sizecategories: Small length less than 3 cm, medium between 3 and 2,76 in, large between 7 and 12 cm. The three dimensioncategories distinguished correspond to other significant categories, ranging from techno-economic aspects (process and duration of fabrication) to relative skill levels). The course of action is structured by a method. A method is defined as an ordered set of knapping gestures. At Cambay, the knapping method allowing to create a pre-form from a rough-out includes 6 stages. Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

10. Current meta-model Is not an ontology !! Not in CRM Organized according to the ROLES in an investigation, TO BE IMPROVED with CRM Not in CRM Not very well organized either Investigation parameters Data corpus characteristics Processingchain Chrono-cultural period Quantitative caracteristics QualitativeCaract. Nature of the corpus objects Method and technique Goals Scope Results Material Morphometry Beads Processing chain for containers Processing chain for beads Beads Pearls Cornalines Conical … hard stone glass Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

11. Manufacturing chain properties Investigation technique (to study a processing chain) Investigation techniques (to study a processing chain) Issues with annotating investigation methods • An interpretative proposition • Analysis of the course of action • The course of knapping sequences was noted in terms of the succession of operations and their temporal distribution. It was described and coded with video films and then treated with the program Kronos. This program, developed by A. Kergelen, permits a temporal analysis of the succession of actions which are retranscribed into sequences in the form of a diagram. • Titles of the antecedent propositions: • The course of action is structured by a method. • The course of action is analyzed according to knapping strategies. • The course of action is analyzed according to the knapping sequences. • The course of action is analyzed according to the temporal structures. Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

12. Date or time extent Use and building of an archaeological object Investigation techniques (for dating an object) Issues with annotating periods and chronological results • An interpretative proposition • P1_1 – Chronology: The time when building 14 has been used in state 1 at the end of the 7th century is estimated to one or two generations. • Antecedent propositions: • P0_1 – Chronology: Building 14 has been built soon after 668. • P0_2 – Chronology: Building 14, that has had three successive states, has been used for a short time extent: less than a century. • Sepulture S589 is contemporary to the destruction and not of the use of building 14 (motivated by the stratigraphic analysis). This tomb dated by radiocarbon, is prior to 776 (661-776, Ly-9326). From the results of the ceramic study, the two first states of the building have not been occupied after the end of the 7th century. Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

13. Status of chrono-cultural periods • Issues • Confusion between period identification (dating) as one of the sub-goals of an investigation, and the period itself as a characterization of the corpus of objects, and period chronology as a result of an investigation about a particular culture. • What should the model say about chrono-cultural periods ? • A period contributes to characterize the archaeological context of an investigation. • Periods are defined by a set cultural and temporal data, not only by dates or events. But date and events may help establish its frontiers. • Periods are connected to locations, peoples and archaeological or historical hypotheses such peoples’ skills and know-how for some techniques. • Periods are identified thanks to a dating process, either absolute or relative. • Periods may provide information in order to establish a chronology in a culture. • The main result of an investigation can be to characterize a material culture or a large period through its chronological evolution (and more precise periods that it includes). Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

14. L’aspect temporel Reusing CIDOC-CRM (CRM 3.4) representation of Time and Period Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

15. Reshaping period definition with CRM:temporal-entity and CRM:Chronological-period • Distinguish period from temporal extent • Defining criteria for period • types of phenomena or interrelated phenomena that determine the unity and identify the cultural continuity of a period. • Define relations between period and • Location, people, cultural features (social and political organization, religion, skills and technical know about some materials, economical organization, …), temporal extents, events (all these features together define it) • Period than may be part of a larger period, occur before or after another pariod • Results of a dating process • Period characterization may be the goal of an investigation Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project

16. Conclusion • CRM and ontological guidelines will help us make our a model look more like an ontology • Define concepts like archaeological object and period • Import results from other ontologies about detailed descriptions of object types, materials, forms, periods … • Arkeotek underlines two limitations (lacks) of CRM for the archaeology of techniques • Concepts to explain how objects were manufactured (processing chains, materials, gestures, skills, …) • Concepts to describe investigation methods and techniques used in archaeology (liking C14 dating, craft-man observation to identify the gestures, their duration, and required skills, …) • Concepts to describe what an investigation is (its scope, goals, methods …) Meta-model for retrieving knowledge: The Arkeotek project