In this project, I embark on a technical exploration into the world of Viking artifacts. Utilizing advanced techniques in data science, web scraping, and geospatial analysis, our objective is to uncover and map the intricate details of historical artifacts.
Scraping Viking History
The Gelmir project addresses the challenge of navigating extensive information dispersed across online collections. Focusing on Early Medieval Scandinavia, Gelmir aims to create an insightful and interactive geospatial representation of Viking artifacts. By combining web scraping, data analysis, and geospatial mapping, I aim to unravel the historical narratives hidden within these relics.
Data Acquisition and Cleaning
The initial phase involves web scraping Gelmir.com to extract URLs and gather relevant information about each artifact. The rvest and xml2 packages are used for parsing XML data and retrieving artifact details, including names, styles, materials, collections, and locations. The resulting data is cleaned using the tidyverse package to address missing values and ensure consistency.
Discover the historical narrative of Early Medieval Scandinavia through the Gelmir Artifact Explorer. The interactive cluster map showcases Viking artifacts with vibrant color-coded markers. The map is available here.
Early Germanic art, predating the Viking era, is also represented, adding an extra layer to the historical narrative. Examining the distribution of Viking art styles, such as Ringerike and Mammen, across Europe provides valuable insights into the interconnectedness and cultural exchange during the Viking Age. The geographic spread of these distinct styles unveils patterns of trade, migration, and cultural influence.
By visualizing the distribution of these art styles on the map, this project serves as a visual narrative, illustrating how these unique art forms transcended borders and became part of a shared cultural heritage across medieval Europe.
Conclusion
This project represents a technologically sophisticated approach to exploring the distribution of Scandinavian art styles throughout Europe. Leveraging a combination of web scraping, data analysis, and geospatial mapping, the endeavor contributes to a deeper understanding of historical treasures. Gelmir.com serves as a crucial data source, offering valuable insights into Germanic and Viking relics. The resulting interactive map, with its meticulous detailing and technical intricacies, stands as a testament to the seamless integration of historical exploration and data science. Stay tuned—this is not the finished project; there’s more to come as we delve further into the fascinating world of Viking artifacts.
The source code is available on my GitHub page.
Damian Wong 