Plural ontologies in underwater archaeology
between digital formalization, multivocality, and the proposal of a situated ontology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31239/qhgxk674Keywords:
Underwater archaeology, Formal ontologies, Situated ontology, Multivocality, Underwater cultural heritageAbstract
This article critically examines the use of formal ontologies in underwater archaeology, focusing on the tension between semantic interoperability and interpretive multivocality. Against the background of the digital turn and the growing complexity of archaeological data management, it discusses the role of frameworks such as BFO, CIDOC-CRM, and ARIADNE in structuring, integrating, and reusing heritage information. It then draws on post-processual archaeology, symmetrical archaeology, new materialism, and critical digital humanities to argue that ontological modeling is never neutral, but always shaped by epistemological, political, and interpretive choices. The paper contends that, although formal ontologies are indispensable for data organization and interoperability, they remain limited in capturing the subjective, memorial, ethical, and conflictive dimensions of underwater cultural heritage. As a conceptual contribution, it proposes the notion of a situated ontology, understood as an approach capable of combining formal rigor, openness to ambiguity, narrative plurality, and sensitivity to epistemic asymmetries.
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