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An
ontology is a shared understanding of some domain of interest
[Usch96]. An ontology entails some sort of world view with
respect to a given domain. It contains a set of concepts (e.g.,
representing entities, attributes, processes), together with
their definitions and their inter-relationships; this is also
referred to as a conceptualisation. In other words, an ontology
is an explicit, agreed specification about a shared conceptualisation.
An ontology may have different degrees of formality but, necessarily,
it includes a vocabulary of terms with their meaning (definitions)
and their relationships. According to [IDEF5], an ontology
is a domain vocabulary containing a set of precise definitions,
or axioms, that:
- provide the meaning of terms,
- enable a consistent interpretation of the terms defined
in the vocabulary.
This document concerns the use of SymOntos (Symbolic Ontology
System), a software prototype developed by LEKS (Laboratory
for Enterprise Knowledge and Systems), at IASI-CNR in Rome,
for the definition and management of archaeological domain
ontologies.
The case study will be represented by the classification of
Iron Age fibulae (brooches) from the cemetery of Quattro Fontanili
near Veii (Rome).
Key words: Ontology, Conceptual Modelling, Classification
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