Introducing an Open Source Library for S umerian Text Analysis (2023)

Abstract: The study of Sumerian texts often requires domain experts to examine a vast number of tables. However, the absence of user-friendly tools for this process poses challenges and consumes significant time. In addressing this issue, we introduce an open-source library that empowers domain experts with minimal technical expertise to automate manual and repetitive tasks using a no-code dashboard. Our library includes an information extraction module that enables the automatic extraction of names and relations based on the user-defined lists of name tags and relation types. By utilizing the tool to facilitate the creation of knowledge graphs which is a data representation method offering insights into the relationships among entities in the data, we demonstrate its practical application in the analysis of Sumerian texts.

## introduction the study of sumerian texts offers a valuable opportunity to gain insights into the earliest written languages and its associated historical context. assyriologists have conducted studies such as prosopography @xcite @xcite and social network analyses @xcite on these texts, enabling a deeper understanding of administrative and economic history as well as the involved families and individuals during the ur iii period @xcite . however, this type of studies often necessitates the identification of named entities and their relationships within a specific timeframe, demanding domain experts to meticulously examine a vast number of ancient sumerian tablets. this process can be timeconsuming and challenging. currently, non-technical users primarily depend on sql and excel to perform repetitive tasks such as manually locating and recording instances of individuals and their relationships across tablets. not only does this result in a less intuitive interface, but it also is not scalable. additionally, given that sumerian is a low-resource language, the availability of dedicated software tools is scarce, limiting scholars' access to user-friendly nlp (natural language processing) toolkits. to address these issues, we introduce an opensource library that facilitates the seamless integration of processing and nlp models, thereby enabling more comprehensive and expedited analysis of sumerian texts. the library consists of two key components: a pipeline and a dashboard. currently the pipeline provides functionalities for data processing and information extraction, equipping users with the necessary tools to build robust and efficient software solutions. the dashboard offers a user-friendly interface which requires minimal technical preparing for domain experts to automate their workflow in analyzing sumerian tablets, ultimately accelerating their research progress. ## related work there are existing tools that process or perform nlp tasks tailored for specific tasks such as machine translation @xcite and sumerian text annotation @xcite @xcite @xcite . most notably, the cuneiform digital library initiative (cdli) hosts several repositoriesthat process sumerian in various data formats such as conll-u and rdf (resource description framework), and perform various nlp tasks. although these tools may provide versatility for different tasks, they require adequate technical knowledge for modifying their utilization. without such expertise, modifying these resources to accommodate the diverse requirements of assyriology can be daunting. therefore, the need for a more accessible platform becomes apparent, underscoring the importance of our work in this space. to the best of our knowledge, no existing dashboard currently allows scholars to easily utilize tools or scripts specifically designed for the analysis of sumerian tablets. ## evaluation and implementation considerations we aim to create reproducible, replicable tools that can be easily customized and interchanged within the assyriologist community. this is reflected in our pipeline architecture which will allow for the seamless integration of various components, enabling users to modify and adapt the tools according to their specific needs. this modularity not only promotes the reuse and repurposing of individual components but also encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing within the assyriologist community. our decision to utilize the go programming language, is primarily motivated by its speed. it offers up to a 30-fold speed increase, resulting a highly responsive user dashboard. for example, tasks such as entity extraction, which could require 5-20 minutes in python, now demand only 1-5 seconds in go. as we continue to introduce more customization options, algorithms and features, maintaining this speed becomes essentials for a good user experience. furthermore, this efficiency extends to server interactions, ensuring swift communication between the frontend and backend. ## use case: creating knowledge graphs with our tools knowledge graphs serve as a powerful tool for representing data as a network of interrelated entities, enabling us to answer queries such as "who did what to whom". for illustrative purposes, we draw upon the work @xcite to demonstrate the use of knowledge graphs in studying prosopography of a family engaging in an animal delivery business during the ur iii period. in this knowledge graph, nodes represent entities such as people, an-imals, and locations. connections between nodes depict relationships or actions, and each connection is enriched with tablet metadata, including tablet number, year, and region. for instance, the node 'arad2-mu' (a person) is connected to the node 'sila4' (lambs) with an edge labeled 'delivers'. the graph not only illustrates the volume of deliveries, recipients, and geographic routes but also provides a comprehensive view of individual interactions over time and space. it gives insights into the networks of individuals and the broader prosopological landscape, shedding light on societal structures, relationships, and economic dynamics. ## conclusion and future work this paper introduces an open-source library designed to empower domain experts in processing and analyzing sumerian cuneiform tablets through an no-code dashboard. the application of knowledge graphs enhances the analysis via large-scale entities and relation visualization. the current implementation shows an initial but promising step in accommodating configurable components that are agnostic to various nlp tasks. as the pipeline's capabilities expand, we invite collaborations to broaden its applications, potentially encompassing a wider range of ancient mesopotamian languages.