Our Tools and Databases
The backbone of the MedConTaCCt project is a number of databases that function in parallel powering our different analytical and mapping applications.
ORACLE
The ORe and ArChaeological Lead IsotopE dataset is the constantly expanding database that powers our AMALIA (A Matching Algorithm for Lead Isotope Analyses) tool. Thanks to ORACLE scholars around the world who have conducted isotopic analysis can employ AMALIA to produce a detailed list with all the analyses that are analytically comparable to their sample: their lead isotope ratios are identical within the interlaboratory spectrometric errors.
SMART
The Server for Mediterranean Archaeometric Roman Tableware encompasses all analyses of Black Gloss Pottery conducted thus far by the MedConTaCCt project, alongside those from the ARQUB database. This comprehensive and continually expanding collection of data powers our Ceramic Mapping Tool, a dynamic platform designed to support scholars in exploring and visualizing the complex trade networks between production hubs and consumption centers across the Western Mediterranean. By providing open access to this information, the tool enables a deeper understanding of the distribution and movement of Black Gloss Pottery, facilitating insights into economic, social, and cultural interactions throughout the region.
METALS
The MEditerranean and Trade Archaeological Lead iSotopes database serves as the foundation for our Lead Object Mapping Tool, a powerful resource that allows researchers to explore trade networks and the flow of lead-based materials between the various mining regions in which the lead ore was originally extracted and the consumption centers across the Mediterranean in which the lead or leaded objects were last used and later recovered by the archaeologists. By visualizing these flows, the mapping tool enhances our understanding of the interconnectedness between extraction, trade, and consumption throughout the ancient Mediterranean. It is important to emphasize that the tool strictly reflects the lead origin data as suggested in the scholarly publications inputted into the METALS database. These publications provide the critical information that informs the tool's mapping, ensuring that the insights generated are rooted in established academic research.