Introduction
The "archaeological database" for the United Kingdom is very large and is continually growing. It consists of photographs, aerial photos, maps (both historic and modern), and other spatially referenced data such as find spots, event records and so on.
This information is distributed amongst many organisations, from the very large like English Heritage (EH) or the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME), to the very small - perhaps archaeological contractors or academic departments.
Clearly, there is a very large resource here, but a major problem is that it is largely inaccessible. One of the reasons for this is that the data is distributed amongst such a wide variety of organisations. Another more serious problem is related to the varying recording techniques used, and the differing platforms with which the data is manipulated. This problem prevents easy sharing and distribution of the data amongst organisations. Standardising and then centralising the data held by these organisations could provide a very useful resource, for both the interested public and academics alike.
If this were to happen though, then the question of access would certainly arise - both from a technical and from a "security" point of view. Clearly the most practical means of access technically would be via the World Wide Web (WWW). Databases are no new feature to the WWW, and indeed there are even archaeology databases on the web - the CANMORE project from the Scottish Royal Commission being a prime example.
However, the problems relating to an individual"s rights for access to data are far more complex. For instance, SMRs make money by charging developers for time spent searching the database on planning related matters. Also, "treasure hunters" or metal detector users may be able to locate and then destroy important but un-excavated sites. On the other hand, SMR information is publicly accessible anyway (usually by appointment), and indeed actually belongs to the public anyway. A centralised archaeology database would be an important source of information for the education of the public, and for the furthering of public interest in the field. This could only be a positive thing for archaeology. Both sides have good arguments, though I shall not be discussing them any further here.
Within recent years there have been quite a few archaeology-related groups discussing the general idea of collating this data, and getting Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs) and the like "on-line". This has notably been through the efforts of the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO), the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) and the RCHME. The work has mainly focussed on textual databases - both CANMORE and the ARChaeological Holdings SEARCH system (ArcHSearch) project from the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) sites providing tabular textual output.
This work shall look at the problems associated with these endeavours, examine how they are being tackled at the moment, and look at how they could be implemented in the future. I shall also consider techniques for improving access to the data so that it is accessible to wider audiences - not just academics. Furthermore, to improve the "browsability" of the data, and to provide a more visually stimulating output, I shall also be considering mapping techniques that could be used in such a situation as outlined above.