One of the world香蕉视频直播檚 most overlooked historical texts is finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to a major international project led by a professor at UBC Okanagan (UBCO).
Dr. Francisco Pe帽a, a professor in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, is leading a team of scholars to translate and digitize the . It is a 6,000-page universal history commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century. Written in Spanish instead of Latin, the text aimed to tell the entire story of humanity from the biblical creation of the world up to the time it was written.
香蕉视频直播淲hile this is one of the world香蕉视频直播檚 most unique and important texts, it is unfortunately not widely known,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Pe帽a said in a UBCO media release. 香蕉视频直播淢any relevant texts written in medieval Spain have disappeared. Through our efforts, we hope to change that and preserve this valuable piece of literature forever.香蕉视频直播�
He pointed out that not only is the General estoria written in the everyday language of its time, but it also includes stories from diverse cultures and perspectives. Its authors included Christians, Muslims and Jews, an unusual collaboration for the era.
Dr. Pe帽a will co-lead the project with Dr. Katie Brown from the University of Exeter in the UK and Dr. Francisco Gago-Jover from the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. Their team includes 55 researchers from 18 organizations across Canada, the U.S., the UK, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Colombia and Tunisia.
香蕉视频直播淭he text hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been well understood to date because it香蕉视频直播檚 impossible for a single scholar to tackle a project of this size and complexity,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Pe帽a explained. 香蕉视频直播淪o, we香蕉视频直播檝e assembled this team from across the globe to tackle it together.香蕉视频直播�
The group will work with Colabora, a digital platform Dr. Pe帽a and colleagues created in 2018 to help transcribe, digitize, translate and annotate historical texts. They plan to train Colabora香蕉视频直播檚 AI tools to read 13th-century handwriting.
The original document is housed at the . As part of the project, graduate students will travel to Spain for a hands-on experience working with the text.
香蕉视频直播淚n the spirit of how the original text was written, we want to create a network of students from many countries and cultures and give them opportunities to work and study together at the same time,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Pe帽a said.
The team will also produce educational materials to make the text more accessible to non-academic audiences. They香蕉视频直播檙e partnering with libraries and school districts across North America, Europe and North Africa to share what they learn.
香蕉视频直播淚n the last few years, there香蕉视频直播檚 been a mistrust of academic institutions, a perceived distancing of universities from non-university communities. We want to bridge that gap,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Pe帽a noted. 香蕉视频直播淭his document was written in the language of the people, and there was an aim to reach as many of them as possible. We香蕉视频直播檙e going to do exactly the same thing.香蕉视频直播�
He also praised Canada香蕉视频直播檚 support of a project focused on a non-Canadian document.
香蕉视频直播淚 love that Canada has stepped up to do this for something that香蕉视频直播檚 not Canadian. To help preserve history, reach people, and spread knowledge. This may be a Spanish text, but the values香蕉视频直播攖hat香蕉视频直播檚 what香蕉视频直播檚 Canadian.香蕉视频直播�
The project has just received $2.1 million in funding through a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant. It香蕉视频直播檚 part of a larger federal investment in Canadian university research, including nearly $9 million for UBCO.
