IUENNA – openIng the soUthErn jauNtal as a micro-regioN for future Archaeology: A «para-description»

The Go!Digital 3.0 project IUENNA—an acronym for “open I ng the so U th E rn jau N tal as a micro-regio N for future A rchaeology”—adopts a comprehensive open science methodology and concentrates on the archaeological micro-region of the Jauntal/Podjuna Valley in Carinthia, Austria. Key case studies include the Hemmaberg/gora svete Heme site and its associated locations: Globasnitz/Globasnica/Iuenna, Jaunstein/Podjuna, and St. Stefan/Šteben. The Hemmaberg site is among the most extensively researched Late Antique hilltop settlements—dating from the 4 th to the 6 th century AD—and serves as a primary research focus. This site moreover functions as a crucial reference point for early Christianity in the Southeast Alpine region and boasts a rich array of features: at least five early Christian churches, burials, auxiliary structures, and notable landmarks like the Gothic pilgrimage church of St. Hemma and Dorothea. Despite more than a century of research—initially launched by citizen scientists in the early 20 th century and later expanded by various actors—the Hemmaberg site is just one element in a broader cultural landscape. This landscape spans from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages and encapsulates the diverse Jauntal Valley. IUENNA is a collaborative effort in digital archaeology and digital humanities: It involves a diverse set of stakeholders, including the State Museum for Carinthia (kärnten.museum), the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage (ACDH-CH) at the ÖAW, the Austrian Federal Monuments Authority (BDA), and the archaeological service company ARDIG. The project marks a novel initiative in Austrian Classical studies by providing a robust model for the active and sustainable long-term archiving of digital archaeological data. IUENNA consequently involves digitizing all available archaeological records and organizing them into an inclusive, hierarchical digital folder structure. Furthermore, all digital assets will also be augmented with metadata. This data management strategy holds the potential to serve as a blueprint for future archaeological projects, both in Austria and beyond. Data accessibility is ensured through its online presence in the ARCHE repository ( A R esource C entre for the H umaniti E s) of the ACDH-CH. A web-mapping application will also be available. This paper serves two purposes: It not only outlines IUENNA’s conceptual framework but also opens the floor for scholarly discourse aimed at the project’s conceptual refinement.