Deserted Villages

The DeVill project aims to digitise and present the extensive records of the Deserted Medieval Villages Archive of the Austrian Society for Medieval and Modern Archaeology, initiated by Fritz Felgenhauer and advanced by Kurt Bors, using an open-source online database and a freely accessible interactive web application. The archive encompasses detailed descriptions, images, maps, and archaeological findings of these historical sites. By employing scans, 3D models, and interactive maps, as well as the relevant literary sources the project shall foster international collaborations on the academic research of deserted villages. Additionally, the project facilitates the understanding of the villages’ historical significance and their connections within a wider medieval landscape. Adhering to the FAIR principles for data management and using CIDOC CRM for data mapping, DeVill leverages OpenAtlas as its backend to acquire, edit, and manage data, ensuring the project is underpinned by robust and open-source technology. The DeVill project is conducted with the collaboration of the Austrian Society for Medieval and Modern Archaeology, the Natural History Museum Vienna, and the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, and funded by the European Union via the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport.