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Abstract

This paper presents the FindSampo system for analyzing and disseminating archaeological object finds made by the public. The system is based on Linked Open Data (LOD), and consists of a web portal and an open data service. The underlying knowledge graph contains data of some 3000 archaeological object finds catalogued in the archaeological collection of the Finnish Heritage Agency (FHA) from 2015 to 2020. The portal and LOD service have been open to public use since May 2021.10 PAS: https://finds.org.uk/database 11 1.4 million finds have been reported by more than 14,000 citizens by now. 12 DIME: https://www.metaldetektorfund.dk 13 PAN: https://portable-antiquities.nl 14 MEDEA: https://vondsten.be 15 ILPPARI: https://www.kyppi.fi/ilppari 16 This series is explained with references in https://seco.cs.aalto.fi/applications/ sampo/. 17 https://lod-cloud.net 18 https://www.researchspace.org 19 http://ckcc.huygens.knaw.nl

This chapter focuses on archaeological collection management and the curation of digital information through a case study of the practices that lie behind FindSampo, an open-access service under development for archaeological finds made by the public in Finland. Citizen science is at the centre of this study. It reflects the importance of cooperation with metal detectorists and others and the potential that it entails for archaeology and heritage management. FindSampo, developed by the multidisciplinary SuALT project, introduces innovative solutions to enhance the research and management of archaeological find data. The solutions of FindSampo concern semantic computing and Linked Open Data, and, for example, ontology work on archaeological objects and the validation process of reported finds. In conclusion, the chapter emphasizes the importance of the democratization of archaeological information in the management of archaeological collections.