DeVill - The Digital Deserted Medieval Villages Archive of the Austrian Society for Medieval and Modern Archaeology.
Authors:
Filzwieser, Roland 
;
Scharrer-Liška, Gabriele ;
Eichert, Stefan ;
Kühtreiber, Karin ;
Huber, Jacqueline ;
Siegmeth, Nora ;
Koschiček-Krombholz, Bernhard ;
Kühtreiber, Thomas ;
- Overview
- Data Acquisition & Methods
- Reuse Potential
- Acknowledgments
- Funding Statement
- Dataset Description
- Installation & Setup
- Project Structure
- References and Related Publications
- License
DeVill provides open online access to the digitised deserted villages archive of the ÖGMN. The data aggregates legacy documentation created since the early 1970s (literature excerpts, written sources, photographs, site sketches) together with newly created digital outputs (georeferenced sketches, vector geometries, find catalogues, and 3D terrain models). In this repository, the metadata of the project is made available in human- and machine-readable formats. In addition to the tabular CSV format, the file metadata is available in semantic graph formats to ensure full compatibility with international metadata standards and digital archive aggregators.
The project is accessible via a dedicated interactive web portal: https://devill.oegmn.or.at.
Figure 1: Screenshot of the interactive DeVill web portal.
DeVill digitised and structurally harmonised the long-running analogue deserted villages archive, formerly part of the Archive for Medieval Archaeology established in 1970/71. The archive was built up under Fritz Felgenhauer and later curated and expanded by the geographer Kurt Bors. As of August 2026, the archive records 2,612 sites and related evidence. The 2023–2024 project aimed to secure this legacy archive through high-resolution digitisation, to normalise and interlink metadata following CIDOC CRM principles, and to publish the results via a searchable catalogue and interactive map.
The dataset primarily covers Lower Austria, but also includes sites in the Austrian states of Burgenland, Upper Austria, Styria, and Vorarlberg.
- Northern boundary: 48.97595
- Southern boundary: 46.83629
- Eastern boundary: 17.09512
- Western boundary: 9.69078
{
"type": "Feature",
"geometry": {
"type": "Polygon",
"coordinates": [
[
[9.69078, 48.97595],
[17.09512, 48.97595],
[17.09512, 46.83629],
[9.69078, 46.83629],
[9.69078, 48.97595]
]
]
},
"properties": {
"name": "DeVill Project Spatial Coverage (Bounding Box)"
}
}
Map 1: GeoJSON definition of the project's spatial coverage (bounding box).
The dataset covers the period from AD 750–1950, with a primary focus on medieval and early modern deserted settlements (c. AD 750–1700). Archival documentation within the dataset was created between 1971 and 2026.
- Inventory & Selection: Comprehensive capture of the ÖGMN deserted villages archive, prioritising unique site files and sketches with spatial information.
- Digitisation:
- Text documents: Fujitsu SV600 overhead scanner with OCR.
- Large-format maps: Nikon D300 DSLR (35mm lens).
- Negatives/Slides: Epson Perfection 4870 Photo (1200 dpi).
- Surface pottery finds: Laser Aided Profiler (LAP) for profile drawings.
- Data Modelling: Curation in OpenAtlas using CIDOC CRM-aligned semantic modelling and controlled vocabularies.
- GIS Processing: Georeferencing of archival sketches in QGIS 3.34 using the Freehand Raster Georeferencer. Spatial geometries are stored in PostGIS.
- Publication: Dissemination via an interactive online web application DeVill with persistent landing pages. Furthermore via machine-readable exports (JSON-LD, RDF, CSV) through a documented API and via metadata following the Europeana Data Model (EDM) and digital objects aggregated by Kulturpool.
- OCR Validation: Spot-checking of searchable text.
- Controlled Vocabularies: Use of thesauri for site types, sources, and chronology.
- Geospatial Plausibility: Geometry validation and comparison against historical cadastral sheets.
- Integrity Checks: Automated validation via OpenAtlas entity relations and export scripts.
DeVill can be reused for comparative analyses of medieval/early modern settlement dynamics, deserted village distributions, and landscape change in Austria. The CIDOC CRM-aligned structure and machine-readable exports facilitate aggregation with other archaeological and historical datasets. The georeferenced sketches and geometries support GIS-based modelling and verification of newly detected sites. The dataset is also suitable for teaching (data modelling, GIS workflows) and local heritage enquiries.
We acknowledge the foundational work of Fritz Felgenhauer and the decades-long curation and field documentation by Kurt Bors. We thank the many collaborators and volunteers who contributed to the archive, the Natural History Museum Vienna for technical hosting within the OpenAtlas ecosystem, and Kulturpool for aggregating DeVill digital objects.
This work was funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMKÖS) through the 'Kulturerbe Digital' programme (Recovery and Resilience Plan; EU funding 'NextGenerationEU'): GZ: 2023-0.257.819.
The dataset presented here provides both human- and machine-readable metadata for the archive. It consists of two main components: first, a list of deserted village sites and their archaeologically relevant components (such as features, stratigraphic units, and finds); and second, a list of associated files and their metadata. These two components are linked (n:n) via their IDs in a cross-referencing table.
Detailed information about deserted medieval villages and related archaeological sites, including:
- Spatial Data: Point coordinates (WGS84) and where applicable polygon or linestring geometries.
- Temporal Data: Dating information (Begin/End ranges).
- Descriptive Metadata: Detailed descriptions of the sites, including historical context and sources.
- Classification: Categorization based on the OpenAtlas type system (e.g., Abandoned Village, Fortification).
- Identifiers: Internal IDs and links to the official DeVill and Thanados endpoints.
- Relations: IDs of parent entities that represent the site's hierarchical structure on four levels: Site/Place, Feature, Stratigraphic Unit and Find.
graph TD
subgraph 173251 ["<i>Ternberc</i> (Site)"]
direction TB
pid1[parent_id: NULL]
id1[id: 173251]
class1[class: place]
end
subgraph 173266 ["Farmstead 1 (Feature)"]
direction TB
pid2[parent_id: 173251]
id2[id: 173266]
class2[class: feature]
end
subgraph 173844 ["Surface A (Stratigraphic Unit)"]
direction TB
pid3[parent_id: 173266]
id3[id: 173844]
class3[class: stratigraphic_unit]
end
subgraph 173900 ["Pottery 123A (Artifact)"]
direction TB
pid4[parent_id: 173844]
id4[id: 173900]
class4[class: artifact]
end
id1 -- "1 : n" --> pid2
id2 -- "1 : n" --> pid3
id3 -- "1 : n" --> pid4
Figure 2: Example hierarchical structure of archaeological objects (Place > Feature > Stratigraphic Unit > Artifact).
The file data/archaeological_objects/archaeological_objects.csv contains the following fields:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
parent_id |
Identifier of the parent entity (if applicable). | |
name |
Name of the archaeological object or site. | Dernberg Castle |
id |
Unique identifier for the object (OpenAtlas based). | 173247 |
type |
Specific type of the object. | Abandoned Fortification |
path |
Full hierarchy path of the object type. | Place > Military Facility... |
description |
Detailed historical description and sources. | In 1208 Hadmar v. Kuenring... |
begin_from / begin_to |
Start date range for the object's existence. | 1200 / 1208 |
end_from / end_to |
End date range for the object's existence. | 1300 / 1321 |
class |
Broad classification (e.g., place). | place |
geojson |
GeoJSON representation of the geometry. | {"type":"Point","coordinates":[16.177, 48.617]} |
wkt |
Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the geometry. | POINT(16.177 48.617) |
lon / lat |
Longitude and latitude coordinates (WGS84). | 16.1779 / 48.6177 |
devill_endpoint |
URL to the object in the DeVill archive. | https://devill.oegmn.or.at/entity/173247 |
api_endpoint |
Link to the OpenAtlas API record for this object. | https://thanados.openatlas.eu/api/entity/173247 |
To facilitate seamless data integration, interoperability, and long-term digital preservation, the archaeological object dataset is provided in several standardized, machine-readable formats:
- RDF/XML (
.rdf): A formal Linked Data representation based on the Linked Art profile for cultural heritage. - JSON-LD (
.jsonld): A JSON-based format for Linked Data, optimized for easy integration into modern web applications and APIs. - Turtle (
.ttl): A concise, human-readable RDF syntax that simplifies the inspection and manual editing of semantic relationships. - GeoJSON (
.geojson): A geographic data format containing all archaeological objects classified asplacethat possess spatial geometries, facilitating GIS integration and web mapping.
While the CSV version is primarily designed for human review and basic tabular analysis, the RDF, JSON-LD, and Turtle exports provide a rich, graph-based representation of the data. These formats include granular semantic metadata and complex relationships—such as links to external authorities and specific CIDOC CRM mappings—that are not captured in the simplified CSV structure.
The semantic data (RDF, Turtle, JSON-LD) is modelled according to the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) and the Linked Art profile. The following namespaces are used:
| Prefix | Namespace URI | Description |
|---|---|---|
crm |
http://www.cidoc-crm.org/cidoc-crm/ |
CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (ISO 21127) |
la |
https://linked.art/ns/terms/ |
Linked Art profile for cultural heritage |
dc |
http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/ |
Dublin Core Metadata Element Set |
dcterms |
http://purl.org/dc/terms/ |
Dublin Core Metadata Terms |
rdf |
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns# |
Resource Description Framework |
rdfs |
http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema# |
RDF Schema |
To ensure semantic interoperability, the dataset links to established controlled vocabularies and authorities:
- Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT): Used for classifying object types, materials, and techniques (e.g.,
aat:300033618for paintings). - Wikidata: Used for linking to global entities and providing multilingual labels.
- GeoNames: Used for spatial referencing and administrative units.
All formats are located in the data/archaeological_objects/ directory.
Metadata for documents, sketches, photos, and drawings associated with the project:
- Dublin Core / EDM compatible: Titles, descriptions (English/German), subjects, and creators.
- Rights & Provenance: Information on data providers and usage rights.
- Linked Data: References to the physical files (PDF, SVG, etc.) and API endpoints.
The file data/files/file-metadata.csv contains the following fields:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
id |
Unique identifier for the metadata record (OpenAtlas based). | 235849 |
title |
Title of the file. | 2074-10b_wolfeswerde_ker_02 |
description_en / description_de |
Detailed description of the file's content in both languages. | foto and drawing jug... / Foto und Profilzeichnung... |
subjects |
Keywords and subjects related to the file. | Jug | earthenware | mica... |
spatial |
Spatial coverage or location information. | 2074-10b_wolfeswerde_ker_02 |
temporal |
Temporal coverage or dating information. | 1300-1500 | Late Middle Ages |
created |
The creation date of the original file or the date it was recorded. | 2024-09-03 |
filetype |
The file extension or general type (e.g., pdf, svg). |
svg |
mimetype |
The internet media type of the file (e.g., application/pdf, image/svg+xml). |
image/svg+xml |
rights |
Usage rights and license information (e.g., Creative Commons). | Österreichische Gesellschaft... |
data_provider |
The institution providing the data (e.g., ÖGMN). | Österreichische Gesellschaft... |
is_shown_at |
URL to the digital object in its original context (DeVill/OpenAtlas API). | https://devill.oegmn.or.at/file/235849.svg |
is_shown_by |
Direct link to the digital file (e.g., PDF/SVG file). | https://thanados.openatlas.eu/api/display/235849 |
In addition to the tabular CSV format, the file metadata is available in semantic graph formats to ensure full compatibility with international metadata standards and digital archive aggregators:
- RDF/XML (
.rdf): A semantic representation following the Europeana Data Model (EDM) and Dublin Core standards, facilitating integration into large-scale cultural heritage platforms. - JSON-LD (
.jsonld): A developer-friendly Linked Data format that maps file properties and their relationships to archaeological objects in a structured JSON syntax. - Turtle (
.ttl): A human-readable serialization of the metadata triples, providing an easy-to-inspect overview of the semantic links and property assignments.
While the CSV file is ideal for quick filtering and overview, these formats provide the necessary technical depth for automated processing and Linked Open Data (LOD) publishing. They include direct references to the digital assets (isShownBy) and their landing pages (isShownAt), maintaining a persistent link between metadata and the actual digital objects.
All formats are located in the data/files/ directory.
Links between archaeological objects and the associated files:
- Mapping: Connects file IDs to the specific archaeological sites they document.
- Labels: Provides descriptive labels for the relationship.
graph TD
subgraph 173247 ["Archaeological Objects: <i>Dernberg</i> (Place)"]
direction TB
oid1[id: 173247]
oclass1[class: place]
end
subgraph 230284 ["File Metadata: Reconstruction Drawing (File)"]
direction TB
fid1[id: 230284]
ftype1[type: image/jpeg]
end
subgraph Relation ["Object-File Relation"]
direction TB
rid1[object_id: 173247]
label1[label: Reconstruction drawing...]
rfid1[file_id: 230284]
end
oid1 --- rid1
fid1 --- rfid1
Figure 3: Example of relations between an archaeological object and a file metadata record.
The file data/crossrefs/object_file_relation.csv contains the following fields:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
file_id |
Identifier of the file (matches id in file metadata). |
198570 |
filename |
The filename of the associated digital object. | 198570.png |
file_label |
Descriptive label for the file in the context of the object. | Dernberg Chugelfeld Dornfeld Karte |
object_id |
Identifier of the archaeological object (matches id in objects). |
173247 |
object_name |
Name of the associated archaeological object. | Dernberg Castle |
data/: Contains the exported metadata.archaeological_objects/: Datasets for the found objects in all formats.files/: Metadata for the associated media files.crossrefs/: Object-file relations between different entities.
scripts/: Python scripts for extraction and processing (see install.md for details.)config/: Configuration templates (see install.md for details.).
The following publications document the development, research history, technical basis, and archaeological application of DeVill. A more comprehensive bibliography is provided in the associated data paper.
-
Filzwieser, R., Scharrer-Liška, G., Eichert, S., Kühtreiber, T., Kühtreiber, K., Huber, J. and Siegmeth, N. 2024. Digitising the Deserted Medieval Villages Archive of the Austrian Society for Medieval and Modern Archaeology: The ‘DeVill’ Project. Medieval Settlement Research 39: 93–97.
-
Scharrer-Liška, G., Eichert, S. and Filzwieser, R. 2024. Die Entstehung des Wüstungsarchivs der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Mittelalter- und Neuzeitarchäologie und seine Entwicklung zu DeVill. Beiträge zur Mittelalter- und Neuzeitarchäologie in Österreich 40: 184–199.
-
Scharrer-Liška, G., Eichert, S. and Filzwieser, R. 2026. DeVill – die Datenbank mittelalterlicher und frühneuzeitlicher Ortswüstungen in Niederösterreich und anderen Bundesländern. In: Pieler, F. and Rammer, E. (eds), Beiträge zum Tag der Niederösterreichischen Landesarchäologie 2026. Veröffentlichungen aus den Landessammlungen Niederösterreich 20. St. Pölten: Land Niederösterreich, pp. 96–104.
-
Eichert, S. 2014. OpenATLAS – An Open Source Database Application for Archaeological, Historical, and Spatial Data. In: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies 2013 (CHNT 18).
-
Eichert, S. 2020. Digital Mapping of Medieval Cemeteries: Case Studies from Austria and Czechia. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage 14(1): Article 3, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/3406535
-
Filzwieser, R. and Eichert, S. 2020. Towards an Online Database for Archaeological Landscapes. Using the Web Based, Open Source Software OpenAtlas for the Acquisition, Analysis and Dissemination of Archaeological and Historical Data on a Landscape Basis. Heritage 3: 1385–1401. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage3040077
This project, including all metadata and documentation in this repository, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
For digital objects (files) referenced via URLs in the metadata, the license of the original source applies. Please refer to the respective landing pages for specific licensing and usage terms.