Modeling cultures as knowledge graphs to represent anthropology
Toward non-textual representation of social anthropology: Modeling cultures as knowledge graphs
Digital Libraries
Summary
Anthropology studies cultures and social groups, often using text to share what they learn. This paper looks at how computers could use knowledge graphs—visual maps of ideas connected by meaning—to represent cultural knowledge instead of just text. The authors argue this could open new ways to understand and work with cultural information, though it also brings challenges. They focus on how thinking about meaning and concepts can guide better digital representations of anthropology.
What this means in practice
- •For digital archivists: Create structured cultural knowledge bases that go beyond text for preserving anthropological data.
- •For cultural heritage managers: Model complex cultural relationships as knowledge graphs to improve digital exhibits and educational platforms.
A position paper. It proposes an approach and reports no results.
Authors
Manolis Peponakis, Sarantos Kapidakis, Martin Doerr, Eirini Tountasaki
Abstract
The study examines the emerging field of knowledge representation in the context of the semantic web and linked data, with a focus on knowledge produced within the social sciences - particularly in sociocultural anthropology. It starts from the premise that natural language, especially its textualized form, has long been the primary vehicle for producing and communicating anthropological research. Informed by theoretical approaches from information science, the study explores how computational methods may offer alternative modes of structuring and representing anthropological knowledge. It challenges the dominance of text as the sole representational medium and highlights the potential of semantic modeling to open new epistemological pathways. At the same time, it acknowledges the conceptual and methodological challenges involved in such a transition. This approach shifts emphasis away from metrics and programming, foregrounding processes of conceptualization, semantics, meaning, and reasoning as key to engaging with anthropological knowledge in digital environments.