For example, we can get a glimpse into the age structure of Islamic élites through the computational analysis of age statement that often occur in biographies. Analyzing most frequent types of such statements in Taʾrīkh al-islām, my experimental algorithm yields ages for over 5,100 individuals and shows that during the period of almost seven centuries the average lifespan fluctuated between 67 and 80 lunar years (Age Statements, left), clearly going down when age statements become more and more frequent, after c. 350/962 CE (Age Statements, right). Onomastic and toponymic synsets that allow re-grouping data using social, religious and geographical parameters may shed light on the age structure of different social groups and local communities. With minor modifications, this analytical algorithm can be applied to other sources as well. For example, the Hadīyat al-ʿārifīn offers age data on about 1,650 Islamic authors (out of approximately 8,800) and a very cursory glance at the results shows that the longevity was indeed characteristic of religious scholars,1 while most of the short-lived authors are usually found in the field of poetry and fine literature, where talent and audacity seem to have been more important than networks and perseverance.

Prospects of Computational Reading | Maxim Romanov Tuesday, October 8, 2013 @ 7:33pm