Semantic Annotation for the Ancient World Conference 2026
May 7 & 8, 2026
Student and Cultural Center XENIA, Nikolaou Psarrou 46, Rethymno, Crete
See the location on GoogleMaps →
Onsite & Online (via Zoom) participation
Submit abstracts (750-1000 words) at the EasyChair by February 15th 2026

The second (2nd) Semantic Annotation for the Ancient World (SA4AW) conference examines the role of semantic annotation in dialogue with hybrid AI approaches, large language models (LLMs), deep learning, and knowledge graphs in the study of the ancient world and cultural heritage. Semantic annotation—whether manual, automated, or human-in-the-loop—enables the identification and linking of concepts, entities, and relationships, transforming raw textual and visual data into structured, interoperable knowledge. At a moment when LLMs can generate fluent interpretations but require grounding in domain-specific context, semantic annotation and knowledge graphs provide essential transparency, precision, and reusability. We welcome contributions that showcase methods, tools, case studies, theoretical reflections, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. In line with FAIR and Linked Open Data principles, the conference encourages open and accessible research practices.
Submissions
Submit abstracts (750-1000 words) at the EasyChair by February 15th.

The conference is organised by the TALOS AI4SSH Lab of the University of Crete (Horizon ERA Chair TALOS AI4SSH ID: 101087269) in collaboration with the Department of Philology, University of Crete.
We encourage proposals on the following themes
- Ontology-driven semantic annotation
- Standardisation
- Multilingual annotation practices
- Automatic and semi-automatic annotation
- Annotation of ancient geography
- FAIR/LOD data
- Semantic Web
- NER for ancient Greek/Latin
- RDF-based digital editions
- Methods, tools, and platforms
