The Case for Archiving Legacy Archaeological Collections into tDAR: Digitizing Approaches for Preservation, Dissemination, and Access

Author(s): David M. Plaza

Year: 2013

Summary

Paper documents are a time proven technology for the preservation and dissemination of information. The advent of computers and the Internet have enhanced some basic concepts for which paper documents have traditionally been used, such as the

management of information on an external platform. Some benefits of using computers are the speed and ease of aggregating and disseminating information. This research will review preservation methods on how to ingest a legacy archaeological collection into an international online digital archive repository called the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR). This online repository is housed by the Center for Digital Antiquity and is a secured databank that has relational capabilities to combine various datasets from different archaeological investigations. This online archival repository was established to improve and assist in the preservation, dissemination, and access of archaeological data, which is a nonrenewable resource. The archaeological legacy collection used here is the Anasazi Origins Project (AOP). The AOP is particularly significant for its contribution to defining the Archaic northern Southwest. The benefit of ingesting this collection into tDAR is to establish the foundation to centralize various components such as paper documents, artifacts, and photographs, of the AOP collection located across the United States through virtual unification. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion of whether there is a need to establish a professional niche that effectively integrates archaeology, museum studies, archiving, and information technologies. Moreover, this research will explore the possibility of “big data” in archaeology.

Cite this Record

The Case for Archiving Legacy Archaeological Collections into tDAR: Digitizing Approaches for Preservation, Dissemination, and Access. David M. Plaza. Presented at 2013 Society of American Archivist Research Forum. 2013 ( tDAR id: 391359) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8N87BMN

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Ancestral Puebloan • Archaic • Armijo Phase • Bajada Phase • Early Archaic • En Medio Phase • Euroamerican • Historic • Jay Phase • Late Archaic • Loma Alta Phase • Middle Archaic • Oshara Tradition • PaleoIndian • San Jose Phase • Sky Village Phase • Spanish • Trujillo Phase

Material
Chipped Stone • Dating Sample • Fauna • Ground Stone • Human Remains • Macrobotanical • Pollen

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Collections Research • Heritage Management • Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis • Research Design / Data Recovery Plan

General
Anasazi Origins Project • Anasazi Origins Project Collection • Archaic Cultures • Legacy Archaeological Collection

Geographic Keywords
Arroyo Cuervo • New Mexico • Northern Southwest

Temporal Keywords
Archaic • Armijo Phase • Bajada Phase • Basketmaker II • Basketmaker III • En Medio Phase • Jay Phase • Loma Alta Phase • Oshara Tradition • Pueblo I • San Jose Phase • Sky Village Phase • Trujillo Phase

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: -5500 to 400 (Oshara Tradition / Archaic)

Calendar Date: 400 to 700 (Basketmaker)

Calendar Date: -9500 to -6000 (Paleoindian)

Calendar Date: 700 to 850 (Pueblo I)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -107.136; min lat: 35.228 ; max long: -106.625; max lat: 35.653 ;

File Information

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