Archaeology Data Service

This article presents the key results of a major survey carried out by the NEARCH project on the public perception of archaeology and heritage across Europe. The analysis focuses on three main points of significance for contemporary archaeological practice. The first is the image of archaeology and its definition in the perception of the general public. The second concerns the values that archaeology represents for the public. The third focuses on the social expectations placed on archaeologists and archaeology. The NEARCH survey clearly indicates that there is a significant public expectation by Europeans that archaeology should work comprehensively across a broad range of areas, and that cultural heritage management in general needs to engage more with different archaeological and heritage groups.

International audience

The articles in this special issue demonstrate significant differences in digital archiving capacity in different countries. In part these reflect differences in the history of archaeology in each country, its relationship to the state, whether it is centralised or decentralised, state-led or commercially driven. They also reflect some of the different attitudes to archaeology across the world, most recently explored in a survey conducted under the auspices of the NEARCH project. They reflect a snapshot in time, but our aim is to record the current state-of-the-art in each country, to inform knowledge, stimulate discussion, and to provoke change.

Abstract Editor's Summary Research data in archaeology is being made more accessible through the semantic efforts of the STAR and STELLAR projects of two United Kingdom universities. The goal of STAR (Semantic Technologies for Archaeological Resources) is to facilitate semantic interoperability, enabling a structured semantic search of five databases and grey literature reports using an ontology of cultural heritage in combination with other knowledge organization systems. STAR employs natural language processing to identify key concepts and generate semantic metadata to support the unified search. STELLAR (Semantic Technologies Enhancing Links and Linked data for Archaeological Resources) takes the process a step further by simplifying the job of expressing excavation data in CRM ontology terms and then generating representations as linked data. The two projects demonstrate the effectiveness of semantic interoperability methods, coordinating data and vocabularies in a shared framework, and supporting the reuse of archaeological excavation data.

The online dissemination of datasets is becoming common practice within the archaeology domain. Since the legacy database schemas involved are often created on a per-site basis, cross searching or reusing this data remains difficult. Employing an integrating ontology, such as the CIDOC CRM, is one step towards resolving these issues. However, this has tended to require computing specialists with detailed knowledge of the ontologies involved. Results are presented from a collaborative project between computer scientists and archaeologists that created lightweight tools to make it easier for non-specialists to publish Linked Data. Archaeologists used the STELLAR project tools to publish major excavation datasets as Linked Data, conforming to the CIDOC CRM ontology. The template-based Extract Transform Load method is described. Reflections on the experience of using the template-based tools are discussed, together with practical issues including the need for terminology alignment and licensing considerations.

International audience

Owing to its early lead in the world of digital preservation, fostered by the creation of the Archaeology Data Service in 1996, the UK is often considered to be in an advanced position for digital archiving of archaeological data. In some ways it is, but the situation is also complex, due to a highly fragmented landscape, spread across four nations, and multiple sectors. This overview article describes the organisation and structure of archaeology across the UK, and the provision for digital preservation and access. Digital archiving is still far from standard, but the situation is improving, and rests on firm foundations.

Archaeology is witnessing an exponential rise in data generation, and this can be particularly seen in the field of bioarchaeology which encompasses ancient DNA, osteoarchaeology, paleopathology, palaeoproteomics, stable isotopes, and zooarchaeology. This increase in data production is driven by advancements in molecular biology, technology, and innovative publishing practices. These data, derived from finite material sources, hold immense analytical value for unravelling the intricate lives of our ancestors. To ensure the long-term reusability of this invaluable information, embracing the FAIR principles — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable — emerges as a promising avenue. Despite the growing awareness of bioarchaeological data reuse, the current landscape exhibits a notable lack of standardised data creation and deposition procedures. This results in the deposition of diverse data types across various repositories, with varying levels of Open Access and copyright, even within specialised fields. Survey findings reveal a diversity of practices among bioarchaeologists: while 43 out of 53 respondents make their data openly accessible, only 24 employ persistent identifiers. Moreover, standardised metadata (16 out of 53) and systematic documentation practices (24 out of 53) remain limited, impeding effective linking and interpretation. Remarkably, ancient DNA performs exceptionally well in FAIR metrics, far surpassing osteoarchaeology and paleopathology. In light of these challenges, it is crucial to implement standardised data management procedures tailored to each biomolecular subdiscipline. Additionally, introducing a federated search interface would significantly enhance the overall findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of biomolecular archaeology data. A comprehensive approach is essential to optimise the stewardship of this data and ensure equitable and meaningful reuse in the dynamic world of archaeological research.

In advance of building a new high speed rail line aimed at connecting the North and South of England, the UK is undertaking the largest archaeological intervention in its history. While the High Speed 2 (HS2) project has created a wealth of new information, before any of that information can be disseminated to the general public, it must first be properly collected, documented, and linked. To this end, data collection is integral to facilitate effective data dissemination and FAIR - Findable, Accessable, Interoperable and Reusable - data to achieve the greatest public value for an archive. The most exciting search results and maps come from what is often seen as scary technical jargon. This paper will discuss some of the limitations the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) experiences as a digital repository, what is currently being done to maximise the reach of the ADS collections, and what tools have been created to aid both depositors and digital archives alike. Starting at the beginning of the data life cycle, this article will show how large infrastructure projects like HS2 allow the ADS to work with depositors to raise issues about data collection, generation, and description during project development and how collaborative efforts can improve the creation and import of data and metadata into the archive. The ADS has made steps towards keeping our data FAIR but simple, both by streamlining what metadata is essential to foster better discovery and reuse within an archive, and from there, how metadata can be passed to external data catalogues such as ARIADNEplus and The National Archives in the UK.

International audience

This article is a reflection on the problems, challenges and strengths of network-based distance learning in archaeology. Based on the experience of one project - the PATOIS (Publications and Archives Teaching with Online Information Systems) Project - it looks at how archaeologists might best respond (and by implication how they ought not to respond) to the use of information technology in teaching. The PATOIS project is an attempt on behalf of a consortium of UK higher education institutions and allied research bodies to tell students about the information tools that are emerging in archaeology, and which are changing the culture of scholarship. Funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and led by the Archaeology Data Service (ADS), PATOIS presents students with these new research tools and novel forms of academic literacy by direct exposure to 'primary' datasets. The PATOIS project is producing a set of Internet-based tutorials that lead students through different datasets and show how they may be deployed in research. This article describes the institutional and intellectual background to the project, and reports on the content of the tutorials themselves. Perhaps more importantly, it looks at the process through which PATOIS was developed, reviewing the challenges and constraints that the development team faced. Thereafter, we turn to the implementation of PATOIS in real teaching scenarios and look at how and when these have been successful as well as the challenges that remain unanswered. The project is not yet complete, so at this stage we can come to no firm conclusions about the long-term impact of PATOIS in facilitating change in undergraduate research training. Nonetheless, from the perspective of development work, the project has largely been completed, so those conclusions that may be drawn are most appropriately addressed to developers hoping or planning to undertake similar work in the future, or academics looking to develop research skills among their students. Reflecting the experience of one computer-based learning project, this article provides thoughtful guidance and advice that will be relevant to anyone interested in developing online teaching and learning resources.

SUMMARY In December 2001 the former eLib e‐journal Internet Archaeology began to charge individual subscriptions, provoking strong reactions on several journal and e‐print discussion lists. Here the Director, Julian Richards, provides the background to that decision and argues that there is no such thing as a free publication.

The Burial Space Research Database is a new repository for data produced from systematic archaeological surveys of burial spaces, undertaken on a per memorial basis. It enables the many local, community groups conducting research in this field to share their findings and publish results. The structure and form of the database requires groups to use a standardised recording methodology and vocabulary, meaning that datasets from different surveys are interoperable, allowing connections and comparisons to be made within and between local research projects. While burial space research is dominated by data on people and inscriptions, the database is also designed to accommodate archaeological approaches to recording that include detailed descriptions of the material form of monuments. A sophisticated search interface allows users to interrogate the archived datasets using a variety of different criteria, potentially revealing previously unrecognised temporal and spatial trends in the postmedieval history of commemoration. By acting as a central repository for burial space research, including individual people commemorated, the database also has the potential to become a powerful tool for genealogical and family history studies, drawing together disparate records in one place and making them freely available.

SSHOC will build the Social Sciences and Humanities part of the European Open Science Cloud. One of the SSHOC project's core objectives is to foster the transition from the current Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) landscape to a cloud-based infrastructure that will operate according to the FAIR principles, offering access to research data and related services adapted to the needs of the SSH community. Furthermore, the tools, services, repositories and other resources developed and enhanced in SSHOC will be featured in the SSH Open Marketplace.

The Sikyon Survey Project is a fully integrated multidisciplinary research program to study the human presence and activity on the plateau of ancient Sikyon, a city in northeastern Peloponnese between Corinth and Achaia. The urban survey was begun in the summer of 2004 by the University of Thessaly in collaboration with the 37th Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, the Institute of Mediterranean Studies at FORTH, and the University of York (UK). A previous extensive regional survey was conducted between 1996 and 2002 in the ca. 360 km² territory of the ancient city. The goal of the research was twofold: the primary aim was to produce a multidisciplinary study of the intra-mural area across the ages, and to trace human presence and activity from prehistoric times to the early modern era. The second and more broad-ranging aim was to investigate the plateau in its context within the landscape and thus build upon the framework of the previous extensive survey of the territory of Sikyon. <strong>Background</strong> The plateau, which rises some 3.5 km southwest of the Corinthian gulf between the Asopos and Helisson rivers, was according to the ancient sources the acropolis of the Archaic and Classical city, which was itself located on the coast. In Archaic times, when ruled by the tyrannic family of the Orthagorids, Sikyon was one of the most powerful states of the Greek world and a cradle of the arts. Its artistic reputation carried on through the Classical and Hellenistic ages thanks to such famous painters and sculptors as Pausias, Kanachos and Lysippos. In 303 BCE, Demetrios Poliorketes, son of Antigonos I, destroyed the city in the plain and transferred it to the site of its acropolis. This initiative, beyond its practical purposes, conveyed a strong political message since Sikyon-Demetrias is one of the only two cities ever founded, or more precisely refounded, by a Macedonian ruler in the Peloponnese. The city grew in its new setting during the Hellenistic and Roman periods and witnessed a golden age in the third century BCE under general Aratos, head of the Achaian Confederacy. During the Roman Empire Sikyon lived in the shadow of Corinth, which was the capital of the province of Achaia. Likewise her bishopric attested already from the late 4th century CE depended on the archibishopric of Corinth. After the collapse of the Roman Empire Sikyon appears again in sources related to Frankish possessions in the Corinthia of the 13th and 14th centuries, this time under the name of Vasilika or Vasiliko. The village of Vasiliko, which presently occupies the southeastern corner of the plateau, is often mentioned in archives of the Ottoman and Second Venetian period (15th-18th centuries). <strong>Data</strong> The data in this collection is the "preservation" data for the project, which is better suited to the long-term preservation and re-use of the data. Due to the nature of software/format obsolescence, it is understood that this collection may not stand the test of time, but best-efforts have been taken to ensure maximum re-usability. A companion collection of "dissemination" data (10.5281/zenodo.1054550) has been created which is an exact replica of the data content but in more immediately re-usable formats. These collections will not be actively migrated like a proper archive kept at the ADS or tDAR, but best efforts have been made to ensure their re-usability. The collection has the following data: Database CSV files representing the database tables An Entity Relationship Diagram showing how to reconstruct the databases GIS GML files of the spatial data Geophysics XYZ data with plot metadata for all the University of York survey data Photos Square photographs, including pottery finds and landscape features Tract photographs with vegetation and landscape conditions Architectural Features General photos of the team working in the field and off-site

The deliverable reports work undertaken in Work package 5 under Tasks 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 and 5.7 during the final 12 months of the project, providing an update to D5.3, and assessing what has been accomplished during the lifetime of the project. The final DMP produced within Task 5.6 is reported In D5.5. Related activity has been reported in D4.3 and D4.4. ARIADNEplus has delivered a transformational upgrade and extension of the original research data infrastructure created within the preceding ARIADNE project (2013-17). It has extended ARIADNE in several dimensions: 1. Wider geographical coverage with new partners.<br> 2. Wider disciplinary coverage with a greater emphasis on the sub-domains of palaeoanthropology, bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, dating methods, and on the archaeology of standing structures.<br> 3. The time span covered.<br> 4. The depth of database integration, with a greater degree of item-level integration.<br> 5. Greater integration of texts.<br> 6. Broader audiences.<br> 7. Greater range of services. This deliverable describes the final update procedures which are being followed by partners, and outlines the steps in the aggregation pipeline. This was initially presented in D5.2 but it is rehearsed here for the sake of completeness and including updates. There are two options for aggregation: the standard approach using a suite of tools for the semi-automated aggregation of large data-sets, and a basic approach for the manual upload of small numbers of records. The majority of partners have used the standard approach, but a small number used the FastCat tool for upload of a few records, and the tool has also proved invaluable for the addition of bespoke Collection records for harvested resources. Partners following the standard approach must: 1. Describe their data according to the AO-Cat using the 3M tool, usually with one mapping per partner.<br> 2. Map subject terms to the Getty AAT using the Vocabulary Matching Tool.<br> 3. Define any period terms used so that they are uploaded to Period0. Where temporal data needs cleaning to create consistent use of date ranges and periods, partners use an additional tool, Time Spans, to normalise date ranges. They must also ensure that spatial data is compliant with WGS 84. Partners using FastCat instead manually enter their data records in a spreadsheet-like tool, where the column headings already correspond to AO-Cat core mandatory fields, so that there can be a single mapping covering multiple partners. Data aggregated by both routes is then transformed into the ARIADNE triplestore, and is also used to create the indices used to power OpenSearch in the ARIADNE portal. Data is initially loaded into a “staging” portal for checking, before it is published in the “public” portal. Aggregation proceeds according to an agreed priority list and is managed via regular meetings of the aggregation task force, which comprises representatives of UoY-ADS, PIN, CNR, USW and FORTH, with SND often in attendance to deal with any issues which require changes to the portal interface. Progress is also monitored by a software tool, Activity Dash (implemented by FORTH in WP14), which makes it easier to monitor the progress across a large number of partners, but use is also made of the ARIADNE D4Science and Redmine help desks, the shared Google document notes from the aggregation task force meetings, and also email. Since the interim deliverable D5.3 at M36, we have aggregated an additional 1.5 million data resources covering the majority of ARIADNE subject types: archaeological sites and monuments, fieldwork events, fieldwork reports, fieldwork archives, inscriptions, dates, artefacts, rock art, building surveys, maritime, scientific analyses, burials and coins. The workflow both for new datasets and also that for adding updates to existing datasets is now tried and tested. At M48 we have over 182 million triples in the public knowledge base (387 million including the inferred triples), and over 3.3 million resources listed in the public portal. Our focus for the last months of the current project has been to complete the aggregation of datasets from the remaining data provider partners and associate partners, but also to make provision for sustainability of the infrastructure and to develop a sustainable business model for continued updates from existing partners, as well as for the addition of new datasets from organisations wanting to join (see D6.5). Since M36 we have also continued the development of application profiles for data types which extend the subject range of the ARIADNE infrastructure, and take us into item level aggregation, as reported in Deliverables D4.2 and D4.4. Finally, we have continued to support the ARIADNE portal, migrating the indices from ElasticSearch to the open source application OpenSearch, and adding several enhancements to the portal interface.

A presentation delivered in Session 14: Data Activism at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2025 in York, UK. Abstract: As the leading digital repository for archaeology and heritage in the UK, the core activity of the ADS is the long-term digital preservation of the data entrusted to our care and to disseminate this data in accordance with the FAIR data principles. Despite advances in making archaeological data Findable, Accessible and Interoperable, research on our collections suggests little reuse by our broad user community. This paper details the tangible ways the ADS encourages data reuse, from crafting more accessible collections, to facilitating research into understanding our audiences and diversifying the way that archaeological data can be reused. Moreover, we will present some of the ways that we are encouraging users to interact with our collections, by promoting the use of DOIs and launching new interfaces to interact with our data, so that we can better understand the ways that the collections we care for and ensure that they are as useful as possible for others. Most importantly, this paper will give the audience the chance to feedback your ideas and solutions — what aspects could we improve on and how could we make our collections more useful? Come and make your voice heard to help us improve for the future.

The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is funded by JISC and AHRB to support research, learning and teaching with high quality and dependable digital resources. Since its foundation in 1996, the ADS has made available online a whole range of digital data sets that have been used within research and teaching. The diverse and growing catalogue of data sets includes the National Monuments Record of Scotland, back‐runs of the Council for British Archaeology Research Reports and the Archway Table of Contents and Journal Locator tools. It includes discrete but extensive archives from archaeological fieldwork and research.

Bioarchaeology, which encompasses the study of ancient DNA, osteoarchaeology, paleopathology, palaeoproteomics, stable isotopes, and zooarchaeology, is generating an ever-increasing volume of data as a result of advancements in molecular biology, technology, and publishing techniques. This data, derived from a finite amount of material, holds immense value in the analysis of our human ancestors' lives. To ensure the long-term reusability of this data, one potential approach is to make it FAIR. This entails making the data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. A Needs Analysis revealed that the reuse of bioarchaeological data is considered significant, with extensive reuse already taking place across various bioarchaeology subdisciplines. However, currently, there is no standardized process for data creation and deposition. Consequently, this wealth of information is processed in different ways, at varying levels, resulting in a range of data types that are deposited in diverse locations, with different levels of Open Access and copyright, even within a specialization. Furthermore, there is a mixed adoption of elements that can facilitate FAIRness, such as Persistent Identifiers (including ORCiDs), appropriate metadata, and systematic documentation. To further enhance opportunities for data preservation and reuse, as well as to maximize the benefits derived from the expanding pool of bioarchaeology data, a standardized data management procedure encompassing all aspects of bioarchaeology, along with a federated search interface, is essential.

Data collected for conference proceeding accessible here :https://zenodo.org/record/8139911