Historical Relevance Research Articles

THE 'TRILHA DOS HOLANDESES' LOCATED BETWEEN THE PATHS OF THE ITAMARACÁ ISLAND (PE): ARCHEOLOGY AND FLUVIAL-MARITIME LANDSCAPE

This article analyzes the ‘Trilha dos Holandeses’, a tourist route on the North Coast of Pernambuco, based on mechanisms available in Landscape Archeology. The approach contributes to the debate on the occupation and appropriation of the insular space, life dynamics and relationship between local social agents and the environment that surrounds them, on the Island of Itamaracá, where the trail is located. The Island was an important place in the Brazilian colonial scene in the first decades of the 16th Century, where urban centers, fortifications and specific port logistics were established. The tourist route currently known as the ‘Trilha dos Holandeses’ refers to the route by the sea that connected Vila de Nossa Senhora da Conceição to Forte Orange. The Trail is used today by fishermen and natives of Itamaracá to articulate the places of interest between the Santa Cruz Channel and the oceanic face of the Island. Considering the historical relevance of the route and its preserved environment, the trail also attracts tourists visiting Itamaracá. In our proposal, the ‘Trilha dos Holandeses’ was approached from the perspective of the fluvial-maritime Cultural Landscape, which adds to Landscape studies the variant of wetlands as central elements in archaeological interpretation.

On the Progress of Phonemic Analysis of Chinese Word Syllables

The process of the sound notation of sinographs arose in China to address problems in pronunciations. Attention to this process is almost as old as the use of the sinographs, and thus has marked historical relevance. Throughout this extended period of time, there was no strong appropriate method to convey the pronunciation of sinographs to the learners of the language, despite several attempts. With the design of different methods of sinograph sound notation, that is, direct notation, the fan-qie method, the national sound notation alphabet, and the scheme of the Chinese phonemic alphabet, the analysis of the Chinese word syllable has progressed developmentally, with an increasingly delicate view of segmentation of the Chinese syllable. The latter three methods, which divided the Chinese word syllable in two, three, and even four parts respectively, have been designed under influences of foreign linguistic methods, and for which, the communications between China, and India and European countries have offered an impetus for the progress in Chinese syllabic analysis. This paper thus addresses the development of these models for articulating the phonology of the Chinese word or syllable, by presenting the above models, and by describing their application and appropriacy to the field of Chinese linguistics through an ethnography of language and text.

Core issues, case studies, and the need for expanded Legacy African American genomics.

Introduction: Genomic studies of Legacy African Americans have a tangled and convoluted history in western science. In this review paper, core issues affecting African American genomic studies are addressed and two case studies, the New York African Burial Ground and the Gullah Geechee peoples, are presented to highlight the current status of genomic research among Africa Americans. Methods: To investigate our target population's core issues, a metadatabase derived from 22 publicly accessible databases were reviewed, evaluated, and synthesized to identify the core bioethical issues prevalent during the centuries of the African American presence in North America. The sequence of metadatabase development included 5 steps: identification of information, record screening and retention of topic relevant information, identification of eligibility via synthesis for concept identifications, and inclusion of studies used for conceptual summaries and studies used for genetic and genomic summaries. To these data we added our emic perspectives and specific insights from our case studies. Results: Overall, there is a paucity of existing research on underrepresent African American genomic diversity. In every category of genomic testing (i.e., diagnostic, clinical predictive, pharmacogenomic, direct-to-consumer, and tumor testing), African Americans are disproportionately underrepresented compared to European Americans. The first of our case studies is from the New York African Burial Ground Project where genomic studies of grave soil derived aDNA yields insights into the causes of death of 17th and 18th Century African Americans. In the second of our case studies, research among the Gullah Geechee people of the Carolina Lowcountry reveals a connection between genomic studies and health disparities. Discussion: African Americans have historically borne the brunt of the earliest biomedical studies used to generate and refine primitive concepts in genetics. As exploited victims these investigations, African American men, women, and children were subjected to an ethics-free western science. Now that bioethical safeguards have been added, underrepresented and marginalized people who were once the convenient targets of western science, are now excluded from its health-related benefits. Recommendations to enhance the inclusion of African Americans in global genomic databases and clinical trials should include the following: emphasis on the connection of inclusion to advances in precision medicine, emphasis on the relevance of inclusion to fundamental questions in human evolutionary biology, emphasis on the historical relevance of inclusion for Legacy African Americans, emphasis on the ability of inclusion to foster expanded scientific expertise in the target population, ethical engagement with their descendants, and increase the number of science researchers from these communities.

GOR KHATRI PESHAWAR- RETROSPECT OF THE ARCHEOLOGICAL REMAINS TO REBUILD

Gor Khatri is an archeological site, located at the heart of the walled city of Peshawar. A square-shaped compound, having a rich and diverse history of subjugation during various historic eras, has gone through a series of excavations unraveling many facts on the civilizations' culture and traditions that had once occupied the land. The purpose of this report is to provide a brief on the historic relevance; excavations held on-site with a timeline and a proposal for its adaptive reuse. The methodology adopted is based on secondary data based on the historic events formulating a proposal for the site's future development for users of the areas as a historic milestone, not losing its rich history. The research indicates a possibility of adaptive reuse of some of the complex spaces that could be converted into a public library and guest houses under the government care for prospects as it is facing the New developed Trail that is one attraction of the site. The research attempts to document the Archeology Department's efforts to develop action plans for the Gor Kathree Complex. Keywords: Gor Kathree, Peshawar, Archeology. Archeological sites

The Propensity to Teach in Chilean Rural Educators and its Potentially Generative Implications: An Exploratory Study

A qualitative interpretive approach is adopted, following a descriptive, exploratory, and cross-sectional design. The sample is intentional, made up of 12 teachers, who have an average of 33 years of teaching experience in rural schools present in the Metropolitan, La Araucanía, and Los Ríos Regions (Chile). For data collection, in-depth interviews were used from the generative narrative perspective. Subsequently, the histories were submitted to content analysis, following the logic of Grounded Theory. Teachers exhibit potentially generative pedagogical action criteria and practices characterized by their commitment to educational work, positive affect, and flexibility, allowing them to build positive and reciprocal interpersonal relationships with students. In the same way, the generative propensity that guides their professional work promotes the construction of pertinent educational learning with historical￾sociocultural relevance for students and their communities of origin.

Political Existence and Question of Historical Agency: Performance of Pakistan People’s Party in Punjab (1999-2018)

Pakistan People’s Party has gone through difficult times since 1999. They went through split in the parliamentary party by giving birth to ‘parliamentarians’, lost leadership, attained power and experienced the lowest electoral score in the political history between 1999 and 2018. These two decades have been crucial not only for the Pakistan People’s Party but also for the overall political development in Pakistan. Enforcement of emergency, introduction of ‘enlightened moderation’, war on terror, charter of democracy, eighteenth amendment and above all the slogan of ‘tabdili’ accredit this era for a deeper analysis of the events. Plethora of work has been done on the political, social and economic aspects of this period in the political history of Pakistan. This paper analyses the relationship of political existence with the historical agency to understand the events of political success and failure in the light of historical standards of existence. It defines the historical standards on the basis of sociocultural dynamics of society and on the basis of these standards analyses the performance of Pakistan People’s Party. It argues for the deterministic presence of History as an agent in the social and political development. This paper extends the argument, while answering the question of nature of socio-cultural and historical relevance of a political party, to the understanding of existing material on political development, understanding of socio-cultural transitions and by understanding the emerging socio-cultural realities. It concludes the discussion with linking the performance of Pakistan People’s Party with the historical dimension.

Entertaining Commodities or Living Beings? Public Perception of Animal Welfare at Local Festivals in South Korea

Many festivals use animals in the name of continuing traditions and religious acts of historical and cultural relevance, as well as for tourist entertainment; however, the welfare of these animals has been overlooked in favor of maintaining cultural identity or making economic profits. The criticism of animal-based festivals has been growing along with the increased public awareness of animal rights. However, this change in public perception has not yet been translated into actual government policies in Korea. This study addresses the unethical practices and challenges regarding animal welfare at festivals from the perspective of visitors to understand the public perception of the need for institutional and regulatory interventions to improve the treatment of animals at festivals. An online survey (N = 1000) is conducted to examine the public perception of animals and animal welfare at festivals and how strongly online survey participants support organizer- and state-level actions to protect the welfare of festival animals. Logistic regression analyses identify gender, pet ownership, pro-animal attitude, visiting experience, sensitivity to criticism regarding animal issues, and perception of animal welfare at festivals as significant predictors of online survey participants’ support for actions ensuring the welfare of animals used in festivals. Our findings also suggest that people sympathize with the need to enhance animal welfare but have low levels of sensitivity to the maltreatment of animals at festivals, indicating the existence of cognitive dissonance. Establishing guidelines and regulations for improving animal welfare can help festivals use animals in a more sustainable way and make visitors rethink and re-establish human–animal relationships.

Io as Isis: A Lycophronean Myth in Nonnus

This article aims to examine one of the myths belonging to the first part of Nonnus’ Dionysiaca, i.e., that of Io. Starting from the philological analysis of the passages dealing with this myth and adopting an intertextual approach, I will argue that the Panopolitan assimilates Io to Isis following Lycophron, one of the authors employed as a model in his poem. Finally, I will also explain the meaning of this choice inside Nonnus’ work, taking into account its historical context. Nonnus wants to emphasize the role of Dionysus’ lineage in the civilization process, giving it an historical relevance. Therefore, the allusion to Lycophron assimilates Cadmus (Dionysus’ grandfather) to Alexander the Great, who is celebrated as a peacemaker in the Alexandra. Furthermore, Cadmus and his offspring can be connected to the Romans, who, at the time of Nonnus, played the same role in the rising Byzantine empire.

What are tourism’s growth drivers and challenges in the Middle East?

PurposeTourism in the Middle East is distinct and diverse, as are its associated challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various opportunities and constraints facing the Middle East region in developing and promoting its tourism.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of the current literature was conducted, and industry white papers and government portals were consulted to identify the historical relevance, current proceedings and future scope of tourism in the Middle East.FindingsGiven the diverse attractions, history, heritage and cuisine, the scope and potential to develop tourism in the Middle East region is enormous. However, political turmoil in the past and its stereotypical image emerged as the major constraints. Acknowledging the significance of the tourism sector, the governments of the region are trying hard to improve international arrivals and revenues.Originality/valueDespite a steep growth in international arrivals, tourism in the Middle East has not been adequately addressed in academia. This paper highlights the region’s tourism-related background, issues and constraints, thus, addressing a critical gap in the literature.

Yugoslav Communists between peace and dispute

The Yugoslav Communists, since their very appearance on the socio-political scene, have occupied a significant place in the historical perspective. During the Second World War in Yugoslavia, there was a significant change in political and social relations. The existence of ideological and civil war in the period 1941-1945 is crucial for understanding war and post-war events. The People's Liberation Army, ie the party's military instrument for the implementation of political and social changes, proved to be a key and decisive factor for the establishment of communist rule. The communist party did not observe the war in Yugoslavia through anti-fascism and anti-fascist struggle but through the so-called national liberation struggle and the socialist revolution. The key goal of the Communist Party was a fundamental change of social paradigm. In order to realize that idea, the party acted realpolitik. Initially, the party promoted common goals. Nevertheless, the party turned to its partial interests as soon as favorable military-political circumstances were created. The initial promotion of common goals was just a mimicry of the real intentions of the party. The Communist Party had a clearly defined political platform and goals for the national liberation struggle. These goals included taking over and establishing power, modeled on the Soviet Union. The conflict in Yugoslavia contained all the elements of an ideological-civil war because all the warring parties used the turmoil of war to carry out their political goals. In the context of the CPY, the basic form of the uprising was the partisan war, which escalated into a war against the enemy, those who were considered a threat to the party's future plans. In 1942, the People's Liberation Army was formed with the first divisions and corps (within it), while the decisive battles in 1943 definitely strengthened the People's Liberation Movement. A real understanding of the place and role of the Yugoslav communists, within the framework of historical reality, is the basic problem of this research. The aim is to review this phenomenon without any idealization, but also without the reduction of historical relevance, to review this phenomenon. There is no doubt that the Yugoslav communists achieved enormous success, in a political and social context. In the first years of first Yugoslavia, it was a marginal group, which was soon banned. However, during the great war, in which the collapse of the previous state took place, as well as the forms of civil war, the Yugoslav communists had the opportunity to reorganize the social, political, and economic order. The research within this paper is limited by the interest in the activities of the Yugoslav communists, from their appearance on the political scene to the moments when they become a powerful political force, without which the period behind us cannot be understood. The elaboration of the mentioned topic implied the application of all basic methods of scientific research. Of the general scientific methods, the hypothetical-deductive method and the comparative method were used. Obtaining empirical data was achieved by applying the method of analysis (content) of relevant documentation.

The Atticist lexica as metalinguistic resource for morphosyntactic change in Post-Classical Greek

Abstract While ancient metalinguistic resources such as lexica and scholia are increasingly studied in the field of ancient scholarship (Montanari 2020), they are investigated less within the historical sociolinguistics of Ancient Greek. Analysing the Atticist lexica by Phrynichus, Moeris and Aelius Dionysius, this article illustrates the historically persistent connection between social perception of and diachronic change within Ancient Greek. Although the historical relevance of Atticist prescriptivism has been observed, the evidence that these social evaluations provide for Post-Classical Greek language change is rarely assessed systematically (except for objectionable ideological reasons). I demonstrate that the Atticist lexica display metalinguistic awareness of the major morphosyntactic changes characterizing Post-Classical Greek (pace Lee 2013:286): paradigmatic (e.g. analogical levelling in verbal system of endings, voice and augment), category changes, category renewal (e.g. dual, pronouns, periphrasis), syntactic change (category expansion of ἔμελλον and τυγχάνω) and case changes (e.g. from case to prepositions).

Farming with forages can reconnect crop and livestock operations to enhance circularity and foster ecosystem services

AbstractAgriculture has undergone dramatic technological and cultural changes over the past century. Many would argue that the changes have been unquestionably positive with huge gains in productivity, reduced labour requirements, and alleviation of food insecurity for most people. However, the adoption of increasingly specialized and separated crop and livestock enterprises has also had widespread negative consequences resulting in (a) decline in biodiversity, (b) degradation of groundwater and surface waters with agrochemical pollutants, (c) poor soil health with monoculture crop production and frequent soil disturbance, (d) intensive greenhouse gas emissions from both specialized cropping systems relying on external inputs and concentrated animal feeding operations that accumulate wastes, and (e) general lack of ecological integrity among components of these specialized systems. Diversified agricultural systems using annual and perennial forages offer opportunities to elevate ecological synergies when crop and livestock operations are integrated. Integrated crop‐livestock systems can internalize nutrient cycling, provide cultural control of weeds, insects and diseases, and share resources in a circular‐based agroecosystem. Cover crops could be transitioned into nutritious annual forages for livestock grazing on currently specialized crop production farms with appropriate local incentives. Perennial forages in ley farming or in pasture‐crop rotations have historical relevance and are a proven practice for conserving nutrients, improving soil health and enhancing biodiversity. Redesigning contemporary agriculture with mixed‐use farming techniques could greatly reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and invigorate soil health. We suggest that incorporating different types of forages across a diverse landscape can enhance agricultural sustainability and ecological integrity.

On the interoperability of Building Information Modeling for Energy Analysis: the case study of the Maritime Station of Napoli (Italy)

This paper experiences the potential of the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technique as a strategy to facilitate the energy performance analysis of existing buildings with historical relevance. The relationship between BIM and sustainability is an emerging concept which is becoming more and more interesting in the construction industry. The different methods for energy modeling of buildings provided in the literature usually imply the use of dynamic simulation software, such as EnergyPlus and TRNSYS, whose graphical interfaces are essential and not particularly user-friendly, if compared to the more popular CAD. Modelling in BIM environment, on one hand, helps to speed up certification procedures and, on the other hand, to define a new work philosophy during the design of energy efficiency interventions, thanks to the software’s interoperability. This study focuses on the analysis of the energy performance of the Maritime Station of Napoli, in southern Italy, located in the Angevin wharf and hosting the port terminal. The procedure employed for the study is a BIM working procedure, therefore involving different software tools. The authors have analyzed and compared the results obtained with different tools, to verify the efficiency of their interoperability, together with the parameters that most influence the analysis. Finally, the authors evaluate the dependency of the results from climatic conditions, conducting the analysis for other two Italian cities, located in different Italian climatic zones.

Preliminary Studies of the Coastal Defenses of Cullera’s Cape Built during the Spanish Civil War: From Historical Study to Formal Analysis

The Spanish Civil War is a chapter of a historical memory that has been avoided for years, rejecting any lived event. In recent years, this trend is changing, and public administrations are beginning to promote its recovery, starting by declaring this heritage as an Asset of Local Relevance. The aim of the current research is to study, analyze, and document the military constructions erected by the Government of the Republic during 1936–1939, at the Cullera’s Cape (Valencia). The research begins with the historical context definition, to subsequently approach the study of the material remains, analyzed after an exhaustive and rigorous graphic documentation work. The methodology followed had to be adapted to the needs of the constructions and their surroundings, which led to the use of a combination of 3D survey techniques based on terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry methods. Accordingly, we were able to digitize, geometrize, and document both the buried and the exposed construction remains, in a correct and precise manner. This is a unique and unprecedented investigation despite its significance and historical relevance. The present work can serve as a basis for the musealization of the site, contributing to its recovery and enhancement.

A systematic literature review of data privacy and security research on smart tourism

Smart tourism has gained popularity in recent years. While we praise the benefits it brings, we should not neglect the associated challenges of data privacy and security. This study intends to investigate the scope of data privacy and security research on smart tourism by analyzing 38 relevant contributions in multi-disciplinary fields systematically. Historical trends, disciplines, regions, themes, relevance, methods, and theories were analyzed to map out the existing research on data privacy and security in smart tourism. Findings reveal that although relevant studies have grown in frequency in recent years, there is still a lack of attention to tourists' information privacy and security in smart tourism research. Specifically, privacy-based conceptualized studies, theory-driven empirical research, and legal analysis in data protection deserve immediate attention. Tourism scholars should also consider proper methods to raise tourists' data privacy and security awareness and build an ethical relationship between tourists and smart tourism applications.

Second Intermediate Period date for the Thera (Santorini) eruption and historical implications.

The historical relevance of the Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption is unclear because of major dating uncertainty. Long placed ~1500 BCE and during the Egyptian New Kingdom (starts ~1565–1540 BCE) by archaeologists, 14C pointed to dates ≥50–100 years earlier during the preceding Second Intermediate Period. Several decades of debate have followed with no clear resolution of the problem—despite wide recognition that this uncertainty undermines an ability to synchronize the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean in the mid-second millennium BCE and write wider history. Recent work permits substantial progress. Volcanic CO2 was often blamed for the discrepancy. However, comparison of 14C dates directly associated with the eruption from contemporary Aegean contexts—both on and remote from Thera—can now remove this caveat. In turn, using Bayesian analysis, a revised and substantially refined date range for the Thera eruption can be determined, both through the integration of the large 14C dataset relevant to the Thera eruption with the local stratigraphic sequence on Thera immediately prior to the eruption, and in conjunction with the wider stratigraphically-defined Aegean archaeological sequence from before to after the eruption. This enables a robust high-resolution dating for the eruption ~1606–1589 BCE (68.3% probability), ~1609–1560 BCE (95.4% probability). This dating clarifies long-disputed synchronizations between Aegean and East Mediterranean cultures, placing the eruption during the earlier and very different Second Intermediate Period with its Canaanite-Levantine dominated world-system. This gives an importantly altered cultural and historical context for the New Palace Period on Crete and the contemporary Shaft Grave era in southern Greece. In addition, the revised dating, and a current absence of southern Aegean chronological data placed soon afterwards, highlights a period of likely devastating regional eruption impact in the earlier-mid 16th century BCE southern Aegean.

A Region-Based Collaborative Management Scheme for Dynamic Clustering in Green VANET

Green Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) is a newly-emerged research area that focuses on reducing harmful impacts of vehicular communication equipment on the natural environment. Recent studies have shown that grouping vehicles into clusters for green communications in VANETs can significantly improve networking efficiency and reduce infrastructure costs. As a dynamic network system, maintaining the network connectivity and reducing the communication overlap are two critical challenges for green VANET clustering. However, most existing work studies connectivity and overlap separately, lacking a deep understanding of the relationship between them. To address this issue, we present a comprehensive analysis that jointly considers the two critical factors in one model. Specifically, we first design a state resemblance prediction (SRP) model based on the historical trajectory feature relevance between vehicles; Combined with the SRP model, we propose the region-based collaborative management scheme (RCMS) to establish the dynamic clustering; Lastly, we take extensive experiments to verify the region-based collaborative management scheme for dynamic clustering. The results demonstrate that the proposed clustering algorithm can achieve high networking efficiency and better communication stability.

The role of international criminal law in protecting human rights from risks Misuse of artificial intelligence

Minorities are an important component of the integrated international fabric of the international community as a whole, if almost no State in the world is without minorities. They constitute the harmonious balance in the territory of a single State that reflects its culture, knowledge and historical relevance. Most of the tools of industrial intelligence fall into the hands of for-profit companies or power-hungry Governments. Digital systems often lack the values and ethics to leave decision-making to the people themselves, which negatively affects minorities. This has led many organizations, including the United Nations, to advocate positive use of AI techniques aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights in general and minority rights in particular. If these calls resonate, artificial intelligence technologies will help save lives, alleviate suffering and persecute minorities, as it is necessary to ensure that the digital revolution serves the interests of the people, not the other way around. We must ensure that every operation run by an artificial intelligence machine or system corresponds to our basic principles such as transparency, fairness, accountability, supervision and reparation. We can even use artificial intelligence to anticipate possible human rights violations in general and violations of minority rights in particular, paving the way for pre-emptive prevention and early response. Skill requires the competent authorities to make use of the potential of artificial intelligence technologies and not to reject them at all so that they do not become safe havens for human rights violations as long as they are recognized as dangerous; Achieving a constructive logical balance between artificial intelligence and the protection of human rights requires further efforts by Governments and companies to take concrete measures to ensure respect for human rights, given the increasingly powerful role of artificial intelligence technology.

Footwear cluster’s decline in the South of Brazil: the transformation of a supercluster

PurposeThis paper presents an empirical contribution to the literature on cluster evolution, highlighting the decline phase. The analysis focuses on the footwear sector in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, in southern Brazil, where an important footwear cluster is located, which was once considered one of the world's largest footwear clusters. The purpose of this study is to analyse the transformation of this footwear industrial sector since the beginning of the 2000s using several sectoral statistics.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents an empirical and longitudinal study that comprises the sourcing of 20 years of secondary data, based on official sources. The main data analysed were production, price, industrial structure, labour market and foreign market.FindingsThe main results indicated a significant reduction in production, export and employment. In addition, a precarization of the labour market was observed, with lower wage levels, even with an increase in the formal qualification of labour over time. The finding is that the RS footwear sector underwent a huge structural change and lost the status of a worldwide supercluster. This decline occurred due to two central factors: an external shock related to China's entry into the international and Brazilian domestic markets, accompanied by a slowdown in the Brazilian economy since 2015; and the difficulty of local firms responding to the new challenges.Research limitations/implicationsSynthesizing the findings, it is understood that this paper contributes to registering the trajectory of decline over time of the footwear sector in RS. In this sector, the Sinos Valley cluster is located, historically known as a footwear producing and exporting supercluster. This cluster loses the characteristic of a “supercluster”, but it still remains an important footwear cluster in Brazil. Therefore, this study reinforces the existence of fragilities already pointed out by the literature in Schimtz (1999) and, more recently, in Schmidt (2020). The need to address a set of fragilities remains current, both at the micro- and meso-levels. This is key to reversing the decline trajectory of the cluster and the sector. Moreover, as recent studies on clusters point out, one still must think about the impact of another ongoing paradigmatic transformation concerning the use and development of Industry 4.0 technologies. Thus, the central challenge is to think about and implement new public and private policies. The historical, economic and social relevance of the sector and the cluster demand efforts to reverse the decline.Originality/valueThis study focuses to contribute to the discussion about the decline of the footwear production in the region by analysing secondary data regarding the industrial sector. This is an analysis at the meso-level (industry). The authors understand that the originality of the research lies in the longitudinal analysis for a recent period (past 20 years) that captures the greatest current crisis experienced by the region.

AMS-VegBank: a new database of vegetation plots for the Italian territory

The importance of collection, storage and exchange of georeferenced vegetation plot-based data has significantly grown in the recent decades, because of the new potentialities offered by ecoinformatics. In this article we introduce the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna vegetation database (AMS-VegBank; GIVD code EU-IT-021) compiling 17,505 georeferenced vegetation-plot observations within a time span of 90 years. This database includes 337,799 occurrence data of vascular plant species, belonging to many different habitat types. The historical relevance of the presented database is highlighted by the presence of some of the most ancient vegetation-plot observations in Europe (years 1930–1938). The geographic coverage of the database is mostly for Italian territory but it includes also data from other countries. The thematic focuses represented in the database are various, such as small Mediterranean islands, the Dolomite Mountains and the Italian National Parks. The large amount of historical plots available for the country not previously included in existing databases, combined with the constant action to improve the georeferencing of existing data and the addition of new data, highlight the uniqueness of this database. AMS-VegBank represents thus an important tool for studying plant biodiversity within the context of continental and global vegetation plot databases. Taxonomic reference: All plant names reported in this article follow the nomenclature by Pignatti et al. (2017–2019). Abbreviations: EVA = European Vegetation Archive; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases.