Theme: History and Archaeology

History and archaeology are research areas rich in data. SND is currently working on several ongoing projects to increase accessibility to such research material. The collections are extensive and include data such as agricultural history, census data, rock carving data and GIS material from excavations. Since 2012 there are ongoing collaborations with, among others, the Swedish Rock Art Research Archives (SHFA), Department for Historical Studies at the University of Gothenburg and the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Uppsala University

SND is partner in the international EU-funded infrastructure project ARIADNE, launched in February 2013. Out of 17 of the projects work packages SND is participating in six. The aim of the project is to bring together and integrate existing research data infrastructures in archeology so that researchers from different countries can use European archaeological digital datasets efficiently. The idea is that, with the help of new and powerful techniques, the datasets can be used as an integral part of the archaeological research methodology. Archaeological material made available at SND will be searchable through Ariadne's search system.

One of the purposes with describing and making research data available within the humanities and other areas is to create possibilities for researchers to re-use research data, for example in new combinations of the material. Perhaps GIS material from excavations could be combined with raw data from the Strategic Environmental Archaeology Database (SEAD) and data from The database Sweden 1570-1810: population, agriculture, land ownership for new research purposes?

SND’s theme page on History and Archaeology is meant to demonstrate what is available in SND’s collections, as well as what other search services exist both internationally and nationally. The aim is to create a wider distribution for the existing research material.

SND welcomes more researchers to make digital research material from archaeology and history accessible as well as ensure long-term storage of the material. The goal is as always to facilitate the exchange of data within and across research areas. Please feel free to use our suggestion box on the right hand side if you have any further information or ideas about research data resources in history or archaeology.

Keywords: archaeology & history.

GIS material available for new analyzes

Since 2012, SND has published data to approximately 450 archaeological projects including their reports. The GIS-data is made available as shape files (viewer can be downloaded from ESRI's website. You can also download QGIS, an open-source software package.) By late 2014, SND had published almost all GIS-data from a previous joint project with the University of Uppsala with the aim of making available and harmonizing the available data so that they become easier to use.

SND is currently working on making the GIS data from the project Ostlänken available. The material, consisting of approximately 130 studies, comes from archaeological surveys and investigations within the corridor of the planned double-track railway Ostlänken. The data covers the period 1965-2012 and contains largely older material in the form of, for example, excavation and construction plans which have been digitized and geo-referenced, but also digital documentation harmonized with other data to create a clear and comprehensive metadata structure.

Apart from the GIS-data from these compilations, SND also has other GIS materials in its web catalogue.

1. DSC_0479 by Kim S - CC BY-SA 2.0Källa

2. nya lodose 150814-8475 by Nya Lödöse - CC BY-NC 2.0Källa

3. Ship Setting, Gnisvard by Tyler Bell - CC BY 2.0Källa

4. Eketorp by Geson Rathnow - CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Källa

5. Ornamentik by Kenny_lex - CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Källa