Theme:
4. People of the Present – Peopling the Past
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Working with Imperfection in Archaeology. Theoretical and Practical Approaches to Data Management
Content:
One of the most problematic issues when working with humanistic data, and specifically with archaeological data, is their imperfection. The data is ambiguous, partial, imprecise, uncertain. This imperfection, which can be intrinsic to the data themselves or be generated later with its processing, makes it difficult to produce reliable results. Speaking of imperfection quickly leads us to think of "lack of perfection", but we are not necessarily alluding to it. Within it would encompass "uncertainty, typing error, imprecision, missing and uselessness" (Achich, 2019) but also incoherence, incompleteness and redundancy (depending on the authors) as sources of data imperfection.
In recent years, some researchers have become increasingly interested in the need to address in their research, especially those using databases, the problem of data imperfection and all the implications that this entails. Despite this, not many researchers have yet delved into this aspect in their research. The session we propose aims to bring together researchers who are or have worked on the imperfection of archaeological data in its broadest sense, from theoretical reflections to proposals for managing the imperfection or part of it (uncertainty, inaccuracy, incompleteness, etc.) in any chronological period and application, both during the collection of data in the field or its processing in the laboratory.
This session proposes an open forum to co-create knowledge on the subject of: How can we address the imperfection (any of its properties) of archaeological data? How should we manage data to obtain more honest results and how can we design best practices for establishing scientific transparency? Is it possible to propose archaeological data management standards? What are the options?
Proposals for managing the imperfection of archaeological data.
How can we represent and manage the imperfection of archaeological dating? What strategies should we use in data collection to "reduce" imperfection?
Keywords:
Imperfection in Archaeology, Data management, Uncertainty, Imprecision, Inaccuracy, Incompleteness
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Leticia Tobalina-Pulido (Spain) 1
Co-organisers:
Maria Elena Castiello (Switzerland) 2
Eduardo Herrera Malatesta (Denmark) 3
Affiliations:
1. Incipit - Institute of Heritage Sciences
2. Institute of Archaeological Sciences (IAW). University of Bern
3. Aarhus University
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