The AFRIPAL Project in Musti: An Epigraphical Component by Karol Kłodziński

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The information presented is of high scholarly value, offering new epigraphic evidence from a relatively understudied North African city. The argumentation is systematic and cautious: the speaker distinguishes securely verified readings from hypotheses (e.g., the possible later insertion of a fragment, the hypothetical location of the Capitolium). He supports his conclusions by cross-referencing onomastic data, imperial titulature, and comparative material from neighboring sites. The reasoning is explicit and well-structured, with each claim grounded in direct observation or prior scholarship, thereby reinforcing the credibility of the presented findings.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The speaker demonstrates solid scientific rigor by emphasizing the importance of autopsy over archive photos, a practice that allows verification of details that would otherwise remain uncertain. He cites relevant corpora, journals (e.g., Libyan Studies, ZPE, Epigraphica), and his own forthcoming monograph, as well as the work of Quinn and Wilson on Capitolia in Roman Africa. The title is perfectly aligned with the content: the lecture indeed focuses on the epigraphical component of the AFRIPAL project, with the speaker clearly identified. The sources cited are appropriate and trustworthy, though most are not publicly accessible in the description.

The title accurately announces the lecture's focus on the epigraphical component of the AFRIPAL project, with the speaker and topic clearly identified.

8/10

The lecture presents original epigraphic research based on direct autopsy of stones, with results published or in press in peer-reviewed venues. The speaker explicitly discusses hypotheses and acknowledges uncertainties, demonstrating methodological rigor. No external verification is available, but the expertise and scholarly context lend high reliability.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:11Introduction to the AFRIPAL project and the epigraphical component.
• 05:01Outline of the presentation: overview of epigraphical results and the Capitolium dedication discovery.
• 09:55The main workspace: local lapidarium in the Byzantine citadel; epitaphs from surveys.
• 15:22Presentation of a new Hadrianic milestone found northwest of the city.
• 16:42Reconstruction of the dedication to Pluto with three fragments, including rare architectural elements.
• 20:27Discovery of three new fragments of the Capitolium dedication during the 2022 campaign.
• 27:55Reconstruction and dating of the Capitolium dedication to 210-211 AD.
• 34:35Transcription of the complete dedication and discussion of the erasure of Geta's name.

• AFRIPAL project website — Mentioned by the speaker as the project's official website for further information.
• Libyan Studies (2024) article on the Gordian III dedication — Revision of the dedication, cited as a prior publication by Santiago Sánchez de la.
• Monograph on funerary inscriptions of Musti (in press, Brill) — Forthcoming volume compiling epitaphs, mentioned during the conclusion.

• AFRIPAL project website — The project's official website is likely to list publications and updates consistent with the lecture's content.
• Libyan Studies (2024) article — Prior publication on a dedication from Musti, aligning with the epigraphic focus.