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FAQ
| Q. What if I do not see any animals or plants on the painting? | |
| A. This can happen, and in this case, you simply do not classify anything on the painting and click on ‘done’. This also helps us in identifying which paintings are not trivial to our research. |
| Q. What if I do not know which type of animal I am identifying on the painting? | |
| A. Please still identify the animal or plant species, and click on ‘Not Sure’. This gives us the right information that there is a presence of flora or fauna in the painting, and maybe others can identify the specie for you or we can study the painting. |
| Q. Do I have to identify humans that are shown on the painting as a mammal? | |
| A. Since our portal is focused on the history of flora and fauna in the Netherlands without the history of humans, we ask you to not identify humans as animals or mammals. |
| Q. How do I categorize objects such as fruit? | |
| A. When the object you see can be considered a plant or animal species, but is not in the list of types, please identify it as ‘Other’. For example, in the following painting, you identify the basket of fruit as 'other'. |  |
| Q. What do I do if I recognize multiple animals/plants of the same species on a painting? | |
| A. You only have to identify a specific animal or plant once. If the painting contains multiple of the same plants and/or animals, it is enough to specify all the specific types that are present. For example, in the following painting, you idenitfy once a 'tree or shrub', once a 'moss or fern', and twice a 'bird' since they are two types of birds; a duck and a raptor. |  |
| Q. What do I do when the plants or animals are in the far distance and are not specific enough to categorize? | |
| A. When the animal or plants are only used as a far, vague background, you do not have to categorize them and can just leave them as is. For example, in the following painting, you do not have to idenitfy anything. |  |
| Q. When is an animal considered a fantastical creature? | |
| A. In our research, we identify a fantastical creature as a non-existing, made-up animal. These creatures resemble animals in some way and can possible have features of animals. For example, a horse with wings can resemble a unicorn, or a unicorn can resemble a horse, but it is classified as a fantastical creature since it is not a ‘horse’ as we see or have seen in nature. On the other hand, sometimes animals can be painted ‘wrongly’ due to the limited knowledge painters had back in the days. To identify if a creature is fantastical or if it resembles a real animal that has been painted wrongly, try to ask yourself what the painter must have meant with the painting. In any case, make sure you do identify the creature and/or animal, even if you are unsure of the meaning of the painter. |
| Q. How can I come in contact with the ATHENA team? | |
| A. You can message the ATHENA team by emailing our project leader Thomas van Goethem or email the organization team. |