---apologies for crossposting--- Call for Abstracts: Semantic Annotation for the Ancient World - SA4AW2026 May 7th-8th, 2026, in Rethymno, Crete (Greece) We are pleased to announce that the call for abstracts for the 2nd Conference in Semantic Annotation for the Ancient World, taking place in Rethymno on May 7th-8th, 2026, is now open. The deadline is February 1st, 2026. Please submit an abstract of max. 1,000 words (bibliography excluded) via EasyChair<https://easychair.org/cfp/SA4AW2026>. The conference is organised by the TALOS Centre in AI4SSH of the University of Crete (Horizon ERA Chair TALOS AI4SSH ID: 101087269) in collaboration with the Department of Philology, University of Crete. Learn more at the conference webpage<https://talos-ai4ssh.uoc.gr/events/conferences/semantic-annotation-for-the-ancient-world-conference-2026/>. Contact the organizers: [email protected] Description We invite proposals for the 2nd Semantic Annotation for the Ancient World (SA4AW) conference, which examines the role of semantic annotation in dialogue with hybrid AI approaches, large language models (LLMs), deep learning, and knowledge graphs in the study of the ancient world and cultural heritage. Semantic annotation—whether manual, automated, or human-in-the-loop—enables the identification and linking of concepts, entities, and relationships, transforming raw textual and visual data into structured, interoperable knowledge. At a moment when LLMs can generate fluent interpretations but require grounding in domain-specific context, semantic annotation and knowledge graphs provide essential transparency, precision, and reusability. We welcome contributions that showcase methods, tools, case studies, theoretical reflections, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. In line with FAIR and Linked Open Data principles, the conference encourages open and accessible research practices. Conference proceedings will be published in open access online format. We encourage proposals on the following themes: * Semantic annotation in the era of LLMs (hybrid workflows, grounding, explainability) * Ontology-driven annotation and knowledge modelling * Knowledge graphs and Linked Open Data for ancient world studies * Human-in-the-loop annotation: methods, strategies, and pedagogy * Automatic and semi-automatic annotation pipelines * Cross-lingual and multilingual annotation (Ancient Greek, Latin, and historical languages) * Annotation and disambiguation of ancient places, persons, and cultural entities * NER and entity linking for ancient languages * RDF-based and ontology-aware digital editions * Standards, interoperability, and data sustainability (FAIR principles) * Platforms, tools, and reproducible workflows for annotation and data reuse Submission details: We invite proposals from all scholars, junior and senior, working in the topic areas of the conference. Please submit an abstract of max. 1,000 words (bibliography excluded, free format). Submissions will be reviewed via double-blind peer review through EasyChair<https://easychair.org/cfp/SA4AW2026> . Paper presentations will be 20 minutes long, with extra time for questions and discussion. The working language of the conference is English. A longer version of accepted papers will be published in an edited volume after the conference. More details about the edited volume are forthcoming. Important dates: * 1st announcement of the Call for abstracts: November 21st, 2025 * Deadline for submission: February 1st, 2026 * Notification of acceptance to authors: February 20th, 2026 * Deadline for confirmation of participation by accepted authors: February 28th, 2026 * Submission of camera-ready abstract: April 1st, 2026 * Conference dates: May 7th-8th, 2026 * Submission of camera-ready version (of final paper): December 1st, 2026 * Publication of Edited Volume: July 2027 Rachel Milio (she/her) PhD Candidate of TALOS-AI4SSH<https://talos-ai4ssh.uoc.gr/>, Semantic Annotation of Texts TALOS Address: University of Crete Research Center (UCRC), Level 1-Building Γ- Room Γ2 Gallos Campus, University of Crete, Rethymno, GR 74100 Office Phone: +30 28310 77141 Mobile Phone: +30 69816 31347 University Email: [email protected]