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Date: | Tue, 16 May 1995 12:32:51 -0500 |
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Comment:
A couple of responses to my recent post
regarding CD-ROM technology and the accessibility of archaeological
reports asked about the National Archaeological Database (NADB)
and its contents. So I decided to send in this brief comment
and provide some introductory information on NADB.
I think it is the beginning of a powerful idea and
database for the present. I am however, worried about the
overhead and its future expense as it grows
longterm, particularly in the current econonmic
climate(see NPS's projected NADB expansion in part II).
My original post and idea was that we
need to make archaeological data/reports as simply maintained
and electronically accessible as possible with a minimum of
proprietary technological hooks (languages/formats such as
WORM technology that will change).
For those who may interested in new technology, there are
already plans in industry to move away from HTML (a hypertext browsing
language common on the internet) to VRML, a Virtual Reality Markup Language,
for 3 dimensional multi-media display and storage of information.
Personally, I think individuals in archaeology will
continue to productize their archaeological work through CD's,
traveling museum exhibits, books and eventually VRML for cash or
prestige. Thats fine with me.
I am mostly concerned however, about the longterm storage and continued
accessibility of the results of the work that we have done. Where would
we be today if Spiers had put his archaeological survey drawings of
(some now gone) Mississippian Mounds on a 8 1/2 inch floppy diskette?
(this was the precursor to 5 1/4" diskettes). The drawings themselves are
still wonderous today because the media is inexpensive and simple.
Come to think of it, alot of archaeology that is underfunded and
driven by the joy of the work (as his was) is also long lasting both in
the results and the experiences of the participants.
Perhaps the drive to technologize the results of our
work through hyper/multi/super media grows out of our secret desire
to wear lab coats as real scientists do or because we did all that back-breaking
work
and could only say that people made both good and bad decisions about their live
s, left
a fragment of this existence in the ground and changed according to
sociological laws that describe situational human interactions
that escape our data and the spartan methods we use to extract it. Oh well, we
do it because we love it and once in awhile we discover something amazing..
On to NADB:
NADB represents a cooperation between Feds and a University,
but there are alot more players out their doing archaeology on
the state and local level and that is
where much of the work will be done in the future.
Facts About NADB:
Part I
NADB is a set of data modules on archaeological activities
in the United States. It is maintained by the Center
for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the
University of Arkansas under an agreement with
the National Park Service. Some* of the module information
is acccessible through the Internet. The modules include:
*NADB-Reports
Bibliographic inventory of some archaeological reports (130,000 records)
*NADB-NAGPRA
Native American Graves Protect and Repat Act information/update minutes
NADB-Permits
Permit data for archaeological and paleontological projects
on Federal and Indian lands
NADB-MAPS (Multiple Attribute Presentation System)
A library of national maps that display archaeological
and environmental data by state and county
Part II
Other planned NADB services include: (some of these may be active in prototype f
orm)
NADB bulletin board/ FEDARCH-L listserver
For discussions of federal archaeology
NADB-AMC (Archives, Manuscripts and Collections)
for computerization of records
NADB-LOST (Listing of Stolen Things)
For informaitonon Stolen ethnographic and archaeological materials
NADB-LEAP (Listing of Education in Archaeologcal Programs)
NADB-SRC (Secretary's Report to Congress)
Summary information on Federal archaeology program
For more information contact
National Park Service
Archaeological Assistance Division
P.O. Box 37127 Suite 210
Washington, DC 20017-7127
202-343-4101
The information in the post was synopsized from
Archaeology and the Federal Government
Vol. 17 No.6
US Department of the Interior
national Park service
Cultural Resources
Matthew Emerson
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