Temporal Reasoning in Historical Humanities Data: The Case of Muzio Clementi and the Music Trade

Historical data are crucial for understanding the past; however, they often lack precise temporal details, which complicates both narrative reconstruction and formal data modeling. This study addresses these challenges by applying temporal reasoning based on Allen's interval logic to data related to the life and activities of Muzio Clementi (1752-1832), a key figure in London's musical and intellectual scenes during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Utilizing the CIDOC CRM ontology to structure the data, the research employs Allen's interval logic expressed in the RDF-based logic language Notation3 (Notation3), along with the EYE reasoner for inference. This approach allows for precise modeling and inference of relationships between events. The study qualitatively evaluates the results of this method, demonstrating its potential to reveal deeper insights from a complex historical dataset.