Mariam Karamauli

This presentation introduces the project “Refinement and Development of the Technology for Digital Decoding of Georgian Palimpsest Manuscripts,” using the Codex Sinaiticus Zosimi Rescriptus as its central case study. The codex is a highly significant palimpsest associated with the Georgian scribe Ioane Zosime, who copied the upper Georgian text in 979 CE at the Sinai Monastery. Beneath this upper layer, the manuscript preserves erased Christian Palestinian Aramaic texts dated to the fifth to seventh centuries. Because of this complex textual layering, the codex is of exceptional importance for Georgian manuscript studies, Christian Palestinian Aramaic textual transmission, and the broader study of cultural heritage. The presentation will focus on how modern digital methods, especially eScriptorium, can support the analysis and decoding of such a manuscript. eScriptorium is an open-source platform for layout analysis and handwritten text recognition. It allows researchers to process high-resolution manuscript images, segment text regions and lines, create transcriptions, and train or refine AI models for specific scripts and handwriting styles. In the case of the Codex Sinaiticus Zosimi Rescriptus, these functions are especially relevant because the manuscript presents several challenges: overlapping textual layers, damaged or erased writing, varying degrees of readability, and the specific characteristics of Georgian ecclesiastical script. A central aim of the project is to train and refine models that can recognize the handwriting of Ioane Zosime more efficiently. This requires careful preparation of image material, manual correction of segmentation and transcription, and repeated adaptation of models to the manuscript’s script, layout, and state of preservation. The project therefore combines traditional methods of palaeography and codicology with digital tools and artificial intelligence. By presenting this case study, the presentation will show how eScriptorium can contribute not only to the transcription of one important manuscript, but also to the development of reusable methods for Georgian palimpsest research.