Session: #130

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
3. The new normality of heritage management and museums in post-Covid times
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
BIG-BIO: Opportunities and Challenges of BIG Data with a Focus on BIO-Archaeology
Content:
A series of recent enterprises and collaborations produced rich datasets of archaeological information achieved due to the intensive work undertaken by both academic and commercial archaeologists in excavations (e.g. ARIADNEplus; Fasti-online), surveys (e.g. the Roman Hinterland Database Project), and also, more specifically, bio-archaeological data (e.g. the IsoArcH initiative) or comprehensive interfaces (e.g. ManLand, Kiel; the Oxford Roman Economy Project, Oxford).
In this session we would like to explore the impact of data from large archives and synthesis projects and discuss the opportunities and the challenges for archaeology in a number of ways: from practical, theoretical and methodological issues in data collection, management, use and interpretation, to examples of impact or potential impact of such datasets to identified or foreseeable difficulties in maintaining and further developing these datasets.
Specifically, this session will examine what the strategy and good practices are in dealing with large datasets? What opportunity do they offer for a better contextualization of present challenges for example through datamining or modelling (e.g. the PANDORA/IsoMemo initiative; Alan Turing Institute in London)? And especially how on-line accessibility (with or without simple/essential restrictions for preservation of vulnerable sites) might help dissemination of knowledge and initiate further research especially when mobility and visits to physical or digital archives are limited or impossible (e.g. pandemic situations, countries in war, etc.). Hence, we invite contributions and experiences across different geographical and chronological settings and from different fields of expertise.
Keywords:
Databases, Landscapes, Bio-archaeology, Excavation, Heritage Management, Open Access
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
yes
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
IsoArch.eu

Organisers

Main organiser:
Francesca Fulminante (United Kingdom) 1,2
Co-organisers:
Kevin Salesse (Belgium) 3,4
Emeri Farinetti (Italy) 2
Affiliations:
1. Bristol University
2. University Roma Tre
3. Université Libre de Bruxelles
4. Université de Bordeaux