Archaeological Data and Digital Archives

This chapter introduces the importance of the long-term preservation of digital data generated during archaeological research, as well as the opportunities presented by an integrated response to digital archiving and electronic publication. Approaches to digital preservation are described, and the need for data standards, for file formats, and for controlled vocabularies is emphasized. The concepts of metadata and paradata are introduced and the chapter discusses the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics) principles, as well as environmental sustainability of digital archives. The state of archaeological data archiving across the globe is reviewed, and the chapter concludes that, despite major investments in e-infrastructures in some countries, in others there is a need for capacity-building and national regulation, as well as a culture shift that leads to a broader appreciation of the value of digital archives.