Archiving the Past While Keeping up with the Times

Abstract

The e-depot for Dutch archaeology started as a project at Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) in 2004 and developed into a successful service, which has ever since been part of the national archaeological data workflow of the Netherlands. While continuously processing archaeological datasets and publications and developing expertise regarding data preservation, various developments are taking place in the data landscape and direct involvement is necessary to ensure that the needs of the designated community are best met. Standard protocols must be defined for the processing of data with the best guarantees for long-term preservation and accessibility. Monitoring the actual use of file formats and the use of their significant characteristics within specific scientific disciplines is needed to keep strategies upto-date. National developments include the definition of a national metadata exchange protocol, its accommodation in the DANS EASY self-deposit archive and its role in the central channelling of information submission. In an international context, projects such as ARIADNE and PARTHENOS enable further developments regarding data preservation and dissemination. The opportunities provided by such international projects enriched the data by improving options for data reuse, including the implementation of a map-based search facility on DANS EASY. The projects also provide a platform for sharing of expertise via international collaboration. This paper details the positioning of the data archive in the research data cycle and presents examples of the data enrichment enabled by collaboration within international projects.

Digitising Legacy Field Survey Data: A Methodological Approach Based on Student Internships

“…In the internship presented below, students expanded their experience in digital archaeology, GIS, semantic ontology, and comparative data analysis, all of which are important skills for an archaeologist. They also engaged in collaborative research with an international team and with what constitutes good practice around open data publication, citation, and reuse [60][61][62][63]. Generally, this education gain and the monetary incentives (e.g., cost reimbursement for book scans and travels to local libraries, or a volunteer allowance) or rewards (e.g., sponsored study trips, certificates, and recognition on social media platforms or publications) ensured student commitment for the entire internship duration.…”

Mapping Our Heritage: Towards a Sustainable Future for Digital Spatial Information and Technologies in European Archaeological Heritage Management

“…A lot of significant work for the development of (nonspatial) data infrastructures was initiated in the context of research and development projects around the turn of the century. In terms of developing and maintaining national digital repositories for preserving and providing access to archaeological information, the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) in the UK, established in 1996 (Richards 2002), and the Dutch Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS), established in 2005 (Gilissen & Hollander 2017), have been pioneers in the field. Even though both services provide excellent models for the preservation of digital data, there is no coordination of the spatial value of that data.…”

Use-Oriented Information and Knowledge Management: Information Production and Use Practices as an Element of the Value and Impact of Information

“…Bekiari et al, 1999;Huggett & Ross, 2004), the practical work towards a wider interoperability of systems has gained significant traction through national (e.g. Richards, 2016;Gilissen & Hollander, 2017;Larsson et al, 2017) and international (e.g. Meghini et al, 2017) efforts only fairly recently.…”