Digitization of archaeology is it worth while?

Transkript

1 Digitization of archaeology is it worth while? Results from a survey among Norwegian archaeologists. Jon Holmen & Christian-Emil re Unit for Digital Documentation, University of slo

2 Major digitization projects for Norwegian Archaeology Site and Monument Registry paper forms The Documentation Project museum finds catalogues sites & monuments records topographical archives The Museum Project museum finds catalogues sites & monuments records topographical archives museums image collections

3 Museum find catalogues process riginal text (text witness) Step 1: registration Bibliographical record Step 2: reproduction Facsimile Step 3: transcription Text with XML markup 1) Structural markup 2) Lemmatization etc.) Step 4: content markup Text with XML markup Information elements identified and marked up the ontology (model) Museum database artefacts, excavations, referential information

4 Encoding a museum catalogue entry <CATALGUE YEAR="1909"> [...] <NRPARA><CATNR NR="B6375">B 6375</CATNR> <SHARED><PERID> Migration Period</PERID> <FINDTYPE>grave find</findtype> from <FINDLC><FARM>Lower Stedje</FARM>, <PARISH1>Stedje</PARISH1> parish, <PARISH2>Sogndal parish</parish2>, <CUNTY>Northern Bergenhus</CUNTY> County.</FINDLC> <SUBPARA><SUBID>I.</SUBID> <SUBSUBPARA><SUBSUBID>a</SUBSUBID><ARTIFACTDATA><MATERIAL>Iron </MATERIAL> <ARTIFACT>sword beater</artifact> <FRM>like <LITREF>Rygh fig. 150</LITREF></FRM>, defective. The end of the handle once had a cylindrical iron ferrule.</artifactdata></subsubpara> <SUBSUBPARA><SUBSUBID>b</SUBSUBID>.<ARTIFACTDATA><ARTIFACTPART> Fragments</ARTIFACTPART> of a <ARTIFACT>spindle whorl</artifact> of <MATERIAL>fired clay</material>.</artifactdata></subsubpara> [...] </NRPARA>

5 Topographical Archives Doc. Inv. No Date Persons Roles Events bjects

6 The databases covered by the survey National Site and Monument Registry Based on 5 regional databases merged in 2000 (Fornminnebasen) New database application and interface in 2003 (Askeladden) Museum Collection Databases Based on the printed find catalogues ( pages) New classification after 2000 Advanced user interface / Web interface (December 2006) Web interface for the printed find catalogues only (1997) Topographical Archives Based on the paper archives ( documents) Advanced user interface. Museum image database Mostly scanned photos, ( images) Advanced user interface / Web interface (2006) ld Site and Monument Registry for Western Norway (P.Fett) Web interface based on full text database (1997)

7 The counties and the archaeological museums in Norway Tromsø Trondheim Bergen Stavanger slo

8 Access to the databases covered by the survey Archaeological Museums 4 of 5 have uniform object collection databases (CMS) & acquisition catalogue databases. 2 of 5 have digital topographical databases. 3 of 5 have large digitized image database. All have access to the national SMR database (Askeladden). All have access to the web versions of the museum acquisition catalogue databases. The County Archaeological Authorities All have access to the national SMR database (Askeladden). All have access to the web versions of the museum databases.

9 Background 1. For how long have you been working as an archaeologist? pilot total new 1-3 yrs. 4-6 yrs. 7-9 yrs yrs 2. At what level are your skills in using computers? Pilot Total 20 0 None Poor medium skilled quite skilled very skilled

10 How often do you use the databases? 100 % 50 % never very little some quite often very often 0 % Collections DB SMR TopArchives Image DB ld SMR W.Norway 100% = all respondees

11 Frequency of use for each database and user group 100 % never very little some quite often 50 % very often 0 % Collection DB All MCA SMR All MCA TopArchives All M CA Image DB All MCA ld SMR W.Norway MCA 100% = all respondees

12 To what degree has the work process changed? 100 % 50 % none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All SMR All TopArchives All 100% = those who have access

13 To what degree has the work process changed? 100 % 50 % none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All M CA SMR All M CA TopArchives All M CA 100% = those who have access

14 To what degree has the work become more efficient? 100 % 50 % worse none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All SMR All TopArchives All 100% = those who have access

15 To what degree has the work become more efficient? 100 % 50 % worse none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All M CA SMR All M CA TopArchives All M CA 100% = those who have access

16 To what degree has the quality of the work improved? 100 % 50 % worse none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All SMR All TopArchives All 100% = those who have access

17 To what degree has the quality of the work improved? 100 % 50 % worse none very little some quite much very much 0 % Collections DB All M CA SMR All M CA TopArchives All M CA 100% = those who have access

18 Comments: The Site and Monument database All County archaeologists Museums 10 0 Data quality History Updating Data Entry Speed Completeness

19 Comments: The museum collection databases 30 All 20 County archaeologists Museums 10 0 Searchability Ease of data entry New and updated data

20 In general what kind of tools do you miss? Number of comments 10 0 ArkeoDeskTop Finds GIS Excavation GIS General GIS More TopArchives Completeness Photo databases

21 ppsummering Kommentarer i undersøkelsen Enkel tilgang til databasene for alle En archaeological desktop : Alle enkeltdatabasene må lenkes på tvers GIS: Funnplott på oversiktskart Plott av funn I utgravninger Mer GIS generelt Bedre lagring av klassifikasjonshistorikk i Askeladden Mer komplette og korrekte data Våre kommentarer Videre utvikling av de tekniske løsningene Men de fleste forbedringene må gjøres av arkeologene selv Det er nødvendig med noen justeringer med hensyn på informasjonsflyten i og mellom organisasjonene og allmenn tilgang til informasjonen

22 Det arkelogiske skrivebordet Kulturminnebasen/Fornminneregisteret Riksantikvaren, fylkesarkeologene, NIKU, museene Gjenstandsdatabasene Museene Topografisk arkiv Museene og Fylkesarkeologene Funndatabaser fra gravinger Alle utgraver: museene, fylkesarkeologene, NIKU, andre utgravere (f.eks. Universitetene) Annen grå litteratur

23 Konklusjon De enkelte verktøyene er i bruk. Arkeologene mener de er nyttige både med hensyn på effektivitet og kvalitet Det er så langt verdt bryet, og

24 vi vet det smaker: Men vil denne mannen ha fått grøten sin i 2020?