Hypermedia and the study of ancient culture

The author discusses how hypermedia databases can facilitate the study of ancient cultures, where evidence ranges from literary texts to archaeological sites to individual objects, by allowing fluid movement among disparate data. The Perseus Project, which set out to collect as many kinds of data as possible from the earliest period of Greek civilization, is described. The Perseus Project is both an exploration of a culture and a case study in how to represent culture in a hypermedia environment. It also probes the strengths and weaknesses of the new medium. One experiment under way within the Perseus Project, involving the hypermedia representation of Greek art, is examined in detail to show the advantages of the hypermedia approach.<>