The development of features in Open Context frequently occurs in response to the needs of data authors. Since Open Context’s inception, we have emphasize that there is no “one size fits all” solution to sharing data, and so we have been open to a more organic development of features in the dynamic landscape of data […]
New Publications Address Data Reuse in Archaeology
The latest issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice includes a special section with five papers on the theme of “Digital Data Reuse in Archaeology.” These are some of the first studies to move beyond data preservation to explore what people are actually doing with shared archaeological data. Here is a list of the papers, with […]
Networking Government Data to Navigate an Uncertain Future for the Past
A paper published today in the journal Antiquity highlights the value of protecting public records of scientific research. The paper, “Networking government data to navigate an uncertain future for the past”, discusses how to incorporate government records into broader civil society networks and ensure their long term preservation and widespread use, drawing on the example […]
Webinar on Using Linked Open Data to Address Climate Change
Please join us on Thursday afternoon February 8th, from 2:00-3:30pm EST, for a live webinar program that will examine how linked open data can be used to address the impacts of climate change on heritage resources. The program consists of a ca. 30-35 minute talk with slides followed by a Q&A period. It is part […]
New Research Provides Insights into Sea-Level Rise and Archaeological Site Destruction
Today, the open access journal PLOS ONE published “Sea-level rise and archaeological site destruction: An example from the southeastern United States using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology)” (Anderson et al. 2017), a peer-reviewed article that projects how climate change driven sea-level rise will endanger over 13,000 recorded archaeological sites on the eastern seaboard […]
Upcoming Conference on Digital Publishing in Archaeology
Next week, Open Context’s Program Director, Eric Kansa, will participate in a one-day conference exploring digital publication of archaeological data. The Digital Publication in Mediterranean Archaeology: Current Practice and Common Goals conference is hosted by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications, in partnership with […]
Project Spotlight: The Gabii Project
The most recent data publication in Open Context features 3D models of archaeological features and objects. The Gabii Project features digital content from excavations at the ancient Latin city of Gabii, a neighboring and rival city-state to Rome in the 1st millennium BCE. Rachel Opitz, a collaborator on the project, which is led by Nicola […]
Contribution Instructions for Biometrical Database of Near East & East Mediterranean Fauna
As we announced a few weeks ago, we have launched a new project aimed at building a corpus of osteometric data from zooarchaeological assemblages in the Levant region. This post provides more details about how the project will work and options for submitting data. First, an Update on the Project Name! Due to the enthusiastic […]
Endangered Data and the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA)
Endangered Data Week highlights the urgent need to protect public records. Our ongoing collaboration with the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) project provides a specific example of why public records matter. Before we discuss DINAA in detail, first we need to provide some context. The United States has enacted a variety of laws […]
Endangered Data Week
For the week of April 17-21, we’re joining a large community-wide effort to raise greater awareness of “endangered data”. In light of all of the other crises in the world, highlighting endangered data may seem silly. After all, given the daily news onslaught of increasing authoritarianism, kleptocracy, war, bigotry, poverty and environmental problems, the fate […]