The Matrix: connecting and re-using digital records and archives of archaeological investigations

该项目将研究如何使考古发掘的数字数据对一系列用户和受众更加有用和有趣。该项目将制定一项计划和方法，使这些数据以可查找、可复制、可互操作和可重复使用的方式得到更一致的记录、分析、传播和存档。该项目有四个目标：1）数字标准; 2）遗产数据; 3）地层标准; 4）搜索工具;旨在解决两个研究领域：1.我们如何鼓励考古数据和信息，特别是来自商业部门的信息的共享，链接和互操作性，以最大限度地提高公共价值和提高考古数据的研究潜力？2.我们如何才能确保现有技术信息和数据标准的连贯一致的发展、应用和执行，并向其他国家推广这些标准？在过去的20年里，遗产部门和其他部门一直专注于如何将计算机上创建和存储的数字数据保存到与大英博物馆中的罗塞塔石碑等博物馆物品相同的程度，以造福后代。考古界对数字保存的兴趣尤其浓厚，考古发掘数据集越来越多地被收集为“天生的数字”数据，使用最新的计算机技术，即在计算机上创建的数据，只能在计算机上复制。考古学家特别关注确保挖掘的数字记录安全地数字存档和保存以供未来研究，因为考古挖掘不能重复。这种关注有助于解决“我们如何以数字方式保存这些东西”的主要问题。但是，尽管现在有完善的数字档案馆，如考古数据服务，他们的下一个挑战是，数据是否被保存和访问的方式，使数据最有用的其他人以外的档案馆和档案管理员？该项目将利用地层和定相数据的具体案例研究，解决目前因缺乏标准化办法对考古数据进行数字存档而造成的问题。地层数据构成了每个发掘地点所有相关考古记录的支柱，对于通过英国和国际上的商业考古部门产生的越来越多的考古数据和报告的综合分析，更广泛的综合和可访问的存档至关重要。地层记录，通常以地层矩阵的形式，与相关的关系和数据，作为一个主要的，如果不是主要的“证据”，如何，以什么顺序，该网站被挖掘。因此，地层矩阵是关键机制，使任何不太熟悉现场的人都能重新访问挖掘记录，了解哪些数据与任何特定的研究问题或遇到的问题最相关，并将挖掘机的解释实际上是如何实现的基本细节拼凑在一起。然而，这些记录往往只保存在纸上或矩阵图的扫描副本上，不容易与相关数据一起重复使用。通常情况下，综合工作和解释性理解所需的关键阶段性数据在书面报告中没有得到很好的记录或一致的存档。这导致关键记录无法搜索或与其他数据保持不关联，如果任何人希望使用这些网站的档案，充其量通常需要长时间和浪费的重新输入。数字档案馆和博物馆的关注点正在从简单地提供更好的数字档案馆访问，转向商业单位，策展组织和学术界的用户沿着普通公众如何最好地利用这些不断增长的数字信息和数据的问题。

This project will investigate how digital data from archaeological excavations can be made more useful and interesting to a range of users and audiences. It will produce a plan and methods to get such data more consistently recorded, analysed, disseminated and archived in a way that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-useable (FAIR).The project has four objectives 1) Digital Standards; 2) Heritage Data; 3) Stratigraphy Standards; 4) Search Tools; that aim to address 2 research areas:1. How can we encourage the sharing, linking and interoperability of archaeological data and information, particularly information derived from the commercial sector in order to maximise public value and enhance the research potential of archaeological data?2. How can we ensure the consistent development, application and enforcement of existing technical information and datastandards and their promotion to others? Over the last 20 years the Heritage sector and others have concentrated on how the digital data created and stored on computers can be preserved to the same degree that museum objects, like the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum, can be kept for the benefit of future generations. This interest in digital preservation has been especially strong in the archaeological world where excavation data sets are being increasingly gathered as "born digital" data, using the latest computer technologies, i.e. data created on, and only preservable on a computer. Archaeologists, are particularly concerned to make sure that digital records of excavations are safely digitally archived and preserved for future research, because an archaeological excavation cannot be repeated. This focus has helped address the principle concerns about "how do we keep this stuff digitally". But although there are now well established digital archives, such as The Archaeology Data Service, their next challenge is whether the data are preserved and accessible in a way that makes that data most useful to others beyond the archives and the archivists?This project will address the current problems caused by the lack of standardized approaches to digital archiving of archaeological data using the particular case study of stratigraphic and phasing data. Stratigraphic data form the backbone of all the related archaeological records from each excavated site and are essential for integrated analysis, wider synthesis and accessible archiving of the growing body of archaeological data and reports generated through the commercial archaeological sector in the UK and internationally. The stratigraphic record, usually in the form of a stratigraphic matrix, with associated relationships and data, acts as a primary, if not the primary piece of 'Evidence' for how, and in what order, the site was excavated. As such the stratigraphic matrix is the key mechanism that enables anyone less familiar with the site, to re-visit the excavation records, understand what data is most relevant for any particular research questions, or problems encountered, and piece together the underlying details of how the interpretations by the excavator(s) were actually arrived at. However, such records are often only held on paper or scanned copies of matrix diagrams that cannot easily be re-used with associated data. Often the key phasing data needed for synthesis work and interpretive understanding is not well documented or archived consistently, if at all, in written reports. This results in key records being unsearchable or remaining unconnected to other data and at best usually requires lengthy and wasteful re-keying if any one wishes to work with the archives from such sites. The focus of digital archives and museums is now switching from simply providing better access to digital archives, to questions of how are users in commercial units, curatorial organizations and academia, along with the general public, going to make best use of this growing body of digital information and data.