Archiving of Archaeological Digital Datasets in Slovenia: historic context and current practice (original) (raw)
Related papers
Internet Archaeology, 2021
As in other countries, Czech archaeology has embarked on a journey of digitisation. This creates the need to cope with the rapid growth of digital data, which must be stored securely over the long term and be accessible in a comprehensible and useful way. This causes several problems. Although there is a centralised and well-resourced digital agenda that meets the requirements of the Heritage Law, outdated legislation and the absence of comprehensive rules do nothing to regulate the management of the most valuable data - the primary documentation of fieldwork events. At present, only summary information on archaeological fieldwork and the final reports, which should contain a substantial selection of documentation, are centrally collected and stored. This is a situation that is difficult to accept as primary (raw) data with a greater information value is disappearing into thin air. The premise for change lies in supplying the existing central infrastructure - The Archaeological Info...
Taming the Beast. Approaches to Digital Archiving in Czech Archaeology
Internet Archaeology, 2021
As in other countries, Czech archaeology has embarked on a journey of digitisation. This creates the need to cope with the rapid growth of digital data, which must be stored securely over the long term and be accessible in a comprehensible and useful way. This causes several problems. Although there is a centralised and well-resourced digital agenda that meets the requirements of the Heritage Law, outdated legislation and the absence of comprehensive rules do nothing to regulate the management of the most valuable data - the primary documentation of fieldwork events. At present, only summary information on archaeological fieldwork and the final reports, which should contain a substantial selection of documentation, are centrally collected and stored. This is a situation that is difficult to accept as primary (raw) data with a greater information value is disappearing into thin air. The premise for change lies in supplying the existing central infrastructure - The Archaeological Info...
Digital Archaeological Archiving Policies and Practice in Europe: the EAC call for action
Internet Archaeology, 2023
Summary A map of Europe showing countries or regions in color that have responded to a survey Countries or regions with recorded responses to the survey. Administrative boundaries: European Commission – Eurostat/GISCO The digital transition in archaeology is often taken for granted, yet the process is far from complete. The topic of digital archiving has been addressed by both the EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives and the SEADDA COST Action. These two entities joined forces to produce a special issue of Internet Archaeology, bringing together contributions on digital archiving practices from over two dozen countries. The articles were later analysed by EAC and SEADDA to compare the international situation. The results reveal both shared difficulties associated with the issue of documentary archives worldwide and examples of good practices that help to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was also carried out to complement the findings resulting from the interpretation of the published articles, with supporting data covering the whole European area in a balanced way. The survey allowed for the compilation of an overview of the situation in 27 countries (30 regions) of Europe. All respondents were experts involved in digital archiving and/or heritage data management in individual countries. Based on the collected information, the discrepancy between the value of archaeological data and its position within heritage management practice is already proving to be a major shortcoming. There are imbalances in the level of attention – and the resulting level of protection – given to archives of (digital) archaeological documentation. If we want to find a way to improve the situation, it is necessary to initiate systemic changes, which should manifest themselves on a number of levels. However, these changes are conditional on a political decision that will give the whole process legitimacy, the necessary resources, a clear framework, and the required tools. It is needed to formulate general principles and co-create an environment, including a legislative one, in which archaeological archiving can be carried out in a sustainable and meaningful way in order to bring the highest possible public benefit. Compared with other initiatives, we consider it essential to primarily follow the systemic changes (top-down approach) rather than strive for change in the individual practice of researchers. It is the only way to achieve the real persistence of irreplaceable archaeological data. This article summarises the results achieved and presents proposed approaches to improve the situation in digital archaeological archiving. It concludes, among other things, by proposing a set of guiding principles for archiving primary archaeological data.
The Digital Dilemma: Preservation and the Digital Archaeological Record
Advances in Archaeological Practice, 2015
The long term care of collected and created data is an ethical obligation in the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage management. With the growing application of digital methodologies in these fields and the complexity of the resulting data, this task has become complicated. Digital data preservation firms have emerged since this methodological shift, but their policies—championing the democratization of academic data—may conflict with the legal obligations dictated by the countries where data originate. Scholars thus face the inevitable choice between one obligation and another, one ethical and one legal. While the amount of digital data grows and the solutions for their preservation remain fundamentally misaligned with research norms and project workflows, the digital dilemma places the integrity of data at risk of loss. This article addresses this dilemma by evaluating the existing data archival, data publication, and data preservation repositories and how, as solutions to the digital dilemma, they can be integrated into multiple workflows. I also propose new directions for archaeological associations in that they should establish a means of evaluation and approval for third party preservation firms managing the future of academic research prior to their inevitable ubiquity.
Belated Measures - the Reality of Digital Archaeological Archiving in Poland
Internet Archaeology, 2021
Archaeology in Poland, as in any other corner of the world, thrives on the application of digital technologies in fieldwork and subsequent analysis. Unfortunately, legal and administrative solutions have not been responsive enough to keep up with these changes. This article summarises the reality of archaeological digital archiving in Poland, shaped by a legally determined focus on paper documentation and the decentralisation of the state heritage service. The practice of digital archaeological archiving is illustrated by the results of a survey carried out among archaeologists from provincial heritage offices. It has revealed that, while they struggle with a lack of adequate technical measures and skills, they also opt for increasing the significance and proportion of digital archaeological archives and realise what should be done for this Digital Dark Age to end. On a more general level, the existence of digital documentation has already been recognised in laws on archiving and im...
DIGITAL PRESERVATION AND ACCESS
2000
There is a crisis in the publication and archiving of archaeological field data in Europe. Computerized data are more fragile than paper archives but also more accessible via the Internet. This article explores the role of the Archaeology Data Service and examines some of the issues raised by the collection of digital data and their dissemination online and the implications
The CSA Newsletter, 2010
Digital Antiquity was established in 2009 as an organization with two primary goals. One goal is to expand dramatically access to digital files related to a wide range of archaeological investigations and topics, e.g., archives and collections; field studies of various scales and intensities; and historical, methodological, synthetic, or theoretical studies (Digital Antiquity 2010). In order to accomplish this goal, Digital Antiquity maintains a repository for digital archaeological data. The repository, known as the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) is accessible broadly. Through a web interface users worldwide are able to discover data and documents relevant to their interests. Individuals and organizations may contribute archaeological digital data to the repository by uploading their own data and documents and creating appropriate metadata for the digital objects they contribute. Users who register and agree to adhere to a set of conditions regarding appropriate use of data and recognition of the data depositors may download documents and data sets. The wider access provided to a richer array of documents and databases permits scholars to develop interpretations and communicate knowledge of the historic and long-term human past more effectively. This broader access also enhances the management and preservation of archaeological resources.
Archaeological digital data, like archaeological artifacts, are non-renewable resources that, once lost, are gone forever. Because digital data are so new in comparison to paper records, archaeologists lose data frighteningly often. First, this thesis summarizes my experience interning with Digital Antiquity, an organization specializing in preserving digital data. Second, this thesis details considerations in preparing, storing, and disseminating digital archaeological information. Finally, this thesis describes potential cultural, professional and educational concerns for users of digital archaeological repositories. As archaeologists create greater amounts of digital data, the digital curation crisis will grow. While a perfect solution has not yet been implemented, pioneering archaeologists have identified steps every archaeologist can follow to ensure that the fruits of their intellectual labors are not lost, while at the same time taking advantage of the unique properties of digital data to improve data and information sharing and use in archaeology. Digital data are useful in ways that data on paper are not and cannot be. Digital data allow archaeologists to collaborate on large projects, communicate more effectively, and even reconstruct entire excavations. However, digital data are also far less stable than paper records. While a paper record may last well over a thousand years if kept in the right conditions, digital data are often unreadable in less than ten years, even when traditional preservation methods are used. Digital storage is becoming the norm for archaeological publication, even though most archaeologists probably do not consider the downsides of digital publication. Moreover, many specialized archaeological data only exist in digital formats (e.g., laser scans, digital photographs, extensive databases) and archaeologists will (and have) lost these datasets because of faults in digital preservation. Digital data often represent the only record left after archaeologists excavate a site, and the loss of such valuable data is akin to bulldozing a site. This thesis details my experiences during my internship at Digital Antiquity (an organization which specializes in data archiving), provides examples of other projects working on the digital curation crisis and gray literature problems, and finally discusses the needs that these organizations may not be considering fully in their plans. This information will provide a primer for archaeologists about what and who to consider when creating, publishing, and storing data and information in digital formats.
Current State of Archiving Archaeological Reports in Bulgaria: still more physical than digital
Internet Archaeology, 2021
This article provides an overview of the current state of archaeological archiving in Bulgaria. It briefly outlines the legislation that regulates archaeological fieldwork activities. Although the national legislation regulates the non-destructive and destructive activities equally, differences occur owing to the existence of the 'Archaeological Map of Bulgaria', a national 'sites and monuments' type of archaeological information system. Currently, online storage of brief data and information is possible for different archaeological sites. Its next version will be based on GIS and geographic features that allow storage of raw field survey data. According to the regulations, paper/digital reports of all fieldwork activities are collected yearly and copies of all of them are stored at the 'Scientific Archive' section at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Although their digitisation is still in the early stage...
Archaeological Digital Archiving in Heritage Management in Slovakia
Internet Archaeology
The Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic (MB SR) and the Regional Monuments Boards have been the state administrators of the cultural heritage, including archaeology, since 2002. This article aims to map the current state of archaeological digital archives within MB SR and eight Regional Monuments Boards, as well as present the usage and management of digital datasets within ongoing projects. The central archive of the MB SR maintains historical plans and cultural heritage documentation, created since the 1920s and continuously digitised (the collections of negatives, diapositives, projects, plans, schematic maps, and fieldwork documentation). Since 2012, MB SR has taken part in the Digital Monuments Fund project. Within this project, 2D and 3D documentation of a great number of cultural monuments has been created. In 2019 the implementation phase of the Monuments information system (PAMIS) project started. Its basic modules are the presentation layer, the knowledge agenda and sta...