• Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage

To dig and to write: Author questions the concept of basic archive reports and argues that the pyramidal working structure of archaeology must be demolished. Drawings by Inger Karlberg.

Archaeological data archiving has not been a major concern in Catalonia. The heritage legal corpus does not engage with the archiving and curation of archaeological data other than the excavation reports. However, it highlights the responsibility of the administration in cataloguing and disseminating the cultural heritage. For this reason, a lot of effort has been invested during the past few years in inventorying known archaeological sites and publishing archaeological reports, with the aim of increasing the transparency of the administration towards its citizens. This article describes the present situation for archaeology in Catalonia, its legal framework and the main initiatives carried out to archive, manage, and publish archaeological data from a user's point of view. Its main aim is to evaluate the current state of archaeological data archives and public databases by analysing the existing platforms with a set of indicators. This assessment leads to the conclusion that the current repositories and databases could be more worthwhile if some limitations were overcome, but also that the advance in archaeological data archiving is restricted by existing law.

V pričujoči diplomski nalogi raziskujem, katere oblike informacijske podpore sistemu poročanja arheoloških poročil poznamo in katere so trenutno na voljo ter v uporabi v Sloveniji. Temelj za pripravo arheološkega poročila je ustrezna pravna podlaga, ki določa smernice za celotno upravno procesualizacijo arheoloških raziskav. Pri nas področje urejata Zakon o varstvu kulturne dediščine (Uradni list RS, št. 16/2008 s spremembami v nadaljevanju ZVKD–1) in Pravilnik o arheoloških raziskavah (Uradni list RS, št. 3/13 v nadaljevanju Pravilnik). Slednji natančno določa standarde za pripravo arheoloških poročil in predvideva njihovo javno dostopnost. Ta je trenutno omogočena preko fizičnega arhiva v INDOK centru. To naj bi se spremenilo s projektom eArheo, ki predvideva vzpostavitev spletnega dostopa do arheoloških poročil. Ker me je zanimalo, katere izboljšave v primerjavi s trenutnim sistemom bi lahko izvedli pri spreminjanju ureditve v prihodnosti, sem naredila pregled primerov ureditev sistema oddaje arheoloških poročil in povezanih upravnih postopkov v posameznih izbranih državah. Preko primerjave z domačim sistemom sem skušala poiskati možnosti za izboljšavo slovenskega sistema in njegove informacijske podpore, s čimer zaključujem nalogo In this thesis I will try to explore which examples of information support to the system of archaeological reporting exist and which are currently at disposal or being used in Slovenia. The basis for the creation of an archaeological report is relevant legal act, that sets the direction of a whole administrative process of archaeological research. In Slovenia this area is ruled by Act of cultural heritage protection and Regulation of archaeological research. The latter sets the standards fort the formal composition of archaeological reports and it expresses their public availability. They are currently being publicly available in physical form in INDOK centre. This will change with the start of the project eArheo, that will enable online access to archaeological reports. I was interested in what improvements could be made in the future online base compared to the current situation, so I did an analysis of the systems of archaeological reports submissions and related administrative procedures in some exemplar countries. By comparing them to our own system I tried to find options for improvement of Slovenian system and its information support, which makes the conclusion of the thesis

This PhD thesis examines how application of 3D visualization and related digital analytical tools is having a transformative impact on archaeological practice via improvement of visual-spatial thinking and the strengthening of conceptual understanding. However, the deployment of these new digital methods is essentially still at an experimental stage. Therefore, the thesis undertakes a critical evaluation of current progress, identifying both shortcomings and opportunities. It argues that more work is needed to systematically identify and resolve current operational challenges in order to create improved digital frameworks that can strengthen future performance across the wider discipline.The PhD research is based on four “parallel experiments” designed to facilitate mutual enrichment and on-going refinement. Each individual experiment generated research articles, which investigate how particular 3D and digital methods can be adapted to diverse kinds of archaeological sites and features,each with unique characteristics. The articles demonstrate how particular methods can be deployed to constantly refine and improve documentation procedures, and to review and adjust interpretation during the excavation process. In total, the thesis produced five research articles and three new web-based publishing systems.Overall, the thesis demonstrates that application, proactive evaluation and constant improvement of new 3D visualization and digital analytical tools will play an increasingly significant role in strengthening and better integrating future archaeological methods and practice. The research also generates original insights and new digital platforms that together underline the importance of applying these new digital tools across the wider archaeological discipline. Finally, the thesis cautions that digital innovation needs to be anchored in an "open science" culture, including strong ethical frameworks and commitment to FAIR principles (i.e. Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) of data archiving as a key component of research design and wider societal engagement.

This article provides an overview of the current state of archaeological digital archiving in Flanders (Belgium). It briefly outlines the legally defined stakeholders and actors through which archaeological fieldwork is regulated and carried out. It subsequently describes related digital documentation and archiving practices, and guidelines. This is followed by a discussion on compliance with the FAIR Guiding Principles, and the article concludes with notes on the past and future of archaeological digital archiving in Flanders. ispartof: Internet Archaeology vol:58 pages:1-8 status: Published online

This report summarizes the findings of the Goose Creek Archaeological Survey, the goal of which was to identify and inventory all archaeological sites within the project boundary in accordance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The Goose Creek Survey took place on Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NASPAX) and is found in St. Mary���s County, within Maryland Archaeological Research Unit Number 9. The survey covered approximately 5.05 miles of creek shoreline and consisted of 2,792 shovel test pits. The survey located fourteen archaeological sites; twelve were newly identified and two were previously known. Of these fourteen sites, five are prehistoric, six are historic, and three are multi-component. Three sites, 18ST724, 18ST742, and 18ST743 are considered ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The remaining sites, 18ST492, 18ST493, 18ST722, 18ST723, 18ST725, 18ST726, 18ST727, 18ST741, 18ST744, 18ST745, and 18ST746 are potentially eligible, although further work is needed to assess them.

The following report presents the results of a Phase I archaeological survey conducted from June 1997 to December 1997 around the Harper���s Creek drainage, situated aboard the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary���s County, Maryland. The goal of this survey was to identify and inventory all archaeological sites within the project boundary in accordance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The project area is in Maryland Archaeological Research Unit Number 9, the Estuarine Patuxent Drainage of the Coastal Plain Province. The survey was conducted by the staff of the Southern Maryland Regional Center at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum for the Natural Resources Branch of the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Public Works Department at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The project was funded through a grant provided by the Department of Defense's Legacy Resources Management Program. Harper���s Creek is situated west of Cedar Point in the northeast quadrant of the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, and combines with Pearson Creek to empty into the Patuxent River near its confluence with the Chesapeake Bay. The project consisted of a Phase I shovel test pit survey. Four thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven shovel test pits were excavated at 25-foot intervals to a distance of 200 feet inland from the creek. The survey tested approximately 460 acres. Twenty-three archaeological sites were encountered, including fourteen previously unidentified sites and nine sites which were previously documented. The prehistoric sites ranged from the Early Archaic period to the Late Woodland period, and the historic sites extended from the last half of the seventeenth century to the early 1940s. Fourteen sites may potentially be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (National Register): 18ST396, 18ST472, 18ST474, 18ST475, 18ST659, 18ST747, 18ST748, 18ST749, 18ST750, 18ST751, 18ST753, 18ST754, 18ST755, and 18ST756. Additional work will be necessary at these sites to determine their eligibility, should avoidance prove impossible.