We are delighted to announce the success of our grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to create interoperability models for archaeological site databases in the eastern United States (NSF #1216810 & #1217240). Our core team consists of researchers from the Department of Anthropology and Archaeological Research Laboratory at the University of Tennessee, the Alexandria Archive Institute, and the Anthropology and Informatics programs at Indiana University. Open Context will be used as the primary platform for data dissemination for this project.

Our aims are to work with the databases held by State Historic Preservation offices and allied federal and tribal agencies in Eastern North America, with the goal of developing protocols for their linkage across state lines for research and management purposes. Data from some 15 to 20 states (more than a half million sites) will be integrated and linked to promote extension and reuse by government personnel in state and federal agencies, and domestic and international researchers. The interoperability models we develop will be designed to:

• facilitate and enhance resource management and protection far beyond local levels
• make protocols and, where appropriate, primary data readily available through open source formats, platforms, and services
• allow for interoperability among multiple disparate datasets and data systems
• be sustainable, flexible, adaptable, and capable of growth in a number of directions
• create frameworks for future “Linked Data” applications in North American archaeology

This project is designed to involve datasets from numerous organizations, and testers from the professional archaeological community. It will generate data products in the form of maps, tables, and analyses useful for primary research, cultural resources management, higher education, and public outreach. Data products will be abstracted and cleaned of sensitive information pursuant to all applicable state and federal requirements.