Preservation and re-use of digital data: the role of the Archaeology Data Service

Abstract

Archaeologists have always been good at creating huge quantities of data, but not so good at arranging to preserve them in ordered, accessible and public archives, or at re-using other peoples’ data themselves. The Information Age presents particular problems for the preservation of digital data (Eiteljorg above, pp. 1054-7) but also provides unique opportunities for their re-use. Within the Higher Education sector in the United Kingdom there is now a national initiative to establish an Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS). This paper will describe the role of the Archaeology Data Service (ADS), one of the services embraced by the AHDS, and will indicate how it proposes to provide access to other peoples’ data.