Interaction and User Interface Features for Exploring Ancient Books and Manuscripts

The M.A.R.E. research project examines Chinese, Arabic, and Armenian manuscripts and books from 700 to 1700 CE, mapping their passage to Europe via the Maritime Silk Routes. The aim of the project is to facilitate the online dissemination of a curated collection of case study texts that document cultural exchanges from East to West. By ensuring accessibility also to individuals without specialised linguistic expertise, the project fosters further intradisciplinary research and enables a comprehensive understanding of cultural exchange dynamics. As part of this initiative, this paper analyzes interaction and user interface (UI) features that improve the accessibility and engagement of historical digital archives. A systematic review of more than 20 digital library projects reveals essential UI elements, such as spatial and temporal encoding, network graph visualizations, and multimodal interactions, that improve manuscript exploration. In contrast to previous studies that mainly emphasize metadata structuring, this research underscores the importance of interactive visualization techniques to enhance the intuitiveness and accessibility of ancient knowledge. This paper presents a collection of design features derived from current implementations, analyzing their potential advantages and challenges, thereby enhancing the development of more comprehensive and inclusive digital heritage platforms.