Peter McKeague of Historic Environment Scotland discussed the need for a Spatial Data Infrastructure for Archaeology

1. Towards a Spatial Data Infrastructure for Archaeology
Peter McKeague
Historic Environment Scotland

2. Towards a Spatial Data Infrastructure for Archaeology
Funded through a Royal Society of Edinburgh
Arts and Humanities Network Award @news_rse

3. Themes
• Legislation and best practice
- INSPIRE – making Protected Sites data available online
- to promote knowledge about the historic environment
• But are we making the most of the data archaeologists create?
- format
- access and licensing
- multiple data creators
- format
- efficiency
• Why does it matter?
• Vision and mission
http://blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.co.uk/2011/
10/i-wouldnt-start-from-here.html
Reused under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

4. INSPIRE sets down the general rules for establishing an infrastructure for spatial
information in Europe for the purposes of Community environmental policies and
policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment
A Protected Site is defined as an
“Area designated or managed within a framework of international, Community
and Member States' legislation to achieve specific conservation objectives”
[Directive 2007/2/EC].
“..a Protected Site is an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the
protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and
associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective
means.”
[International Union for the Conservation of Nature]
Some historic environment data is covered within INSPIRE under the Protected Sites Theme
The legislative bit…
Different countries have different legal definitions of what is a Protected Site
- Blanket protection
- Selective protection

5. INSPIRE compliant metadata and web services available through
the Scottish Spatial Data Infrastructure Portal
But designation data is also directly from the Historic
Environment Scotland spatial download page

6. Online portals provide access to a range of Protected Sites data
But what about the wealth of primary spatial data gathered through fieldwork?

7. A history of investigation: geophysical surveys along the Antonine Wall from 1995 to 2007
Magnetometry 2007
Resistivity 2007
Map base © Copyright and database right 2020 Ordnance Survey licence number 100057073
Resistivity 1995
Resistivity 1998
Data can be combined with other datasets such as airborne mapping
Interpretation or excavation data

8. We already have guidance

9. Excavation
Laser scanning
Analysis
Some of the techniques that inform our interpretation and decision making
The I
Cropmark interpretation Remote sensing
Field survey
But historic environment data is much, much more than sites and designations
and all events are not the same

10. Challenges of scale and new technologies in the 21st century
From targeted survey … … to a landscape approach
Structure From Motion Laser scanning
Machine learning: Automated Object Detection
Airborne Laser Scanning, Geophysical survey data

11. Spatial Discovery metadata:
Describes the nature and content of the dataset
Exploration metadata:
The information required to ensure the data is appropriate for purpose
Exploitation metadata:
The information required to access, transfer and apply the data
Geophysical survey Airborne Laser Scanning Laser scanning
After:
Shaw, R., Corns, A. and McAuley J. Archiving Archaeological Spatial Data: Standards and Metadata
In the online proceedings of Making History Interactive, CAA 2009, 22-26 March 2009, Wiliamsburg, Virginia, USA
Different techniques require data specific metadata

12. https://canmore.org.uk/site/294740/
Courtesy: GSB Prospection
12
A case study from geophysics
We use OASIS (an online reporting form) to capture key metadata from the people who undertake the work
and share with relevant data curators in local authorities, with the national record and specialist databases

13. We need to end the tyranny of the PDF
OASIS captures the exploration metadata from project reports in the form. An xml export
can be imported into relevant records and added to the Geophysical Survey database,
but the spatial content of the report is often overlooked.

14. Geophysical surveys in Scotland
After Christine Rennie, GUARD 2003
… and think beyond the database to create powerful spatial indexes and datasets
Magnetometry and resistivity survey extents at Balmuildy
overlain with selected georeferenced greyscale raster plots
and combined with Airborne Mapping data

15. We need consistent, standards derived symbology for observed features
Field survey mapping
Airborne mapping
Also
Geophysical survey interpretations - Automated feature detection

16. Measure once
Use often!
https://5stardata.info/en/
GeoJSON
WKT
WMS
WFS
Think about formats and reuse

17. © Copyright and database right 2020
Ordnance Survey licence number 100057073
New life for old plans: Loch Gruinart / Ardnave RSPB reserve, Islay
RCAHMS survey originally published in Argyll Inventory
Selected monuments published on OS Base maps
Scanned and georeferenced
Can help relocate overgrown, difficult to recognise sites

18. Our data should be Open and FAIR
Open Data by Default
- public data should be open and available for others to re-use
- Should be part of the business process for new data
Quality and Quantity
- provide metadata to allow users to understand data and its limitations
- data should be released in in a timely and frequent manner
Usable by All
- it should be easy to discovery and reuse data.
- published formats should support re-use.
-data should be accompanied by an open licence and be made available free
(with defined exceptions)
Releasing Data for Improved Governance
- to support delivery of better public services
- to improve those services
- better inform and engage with citizens through the release of data
Releasing Data for Innovation
- encourage reuse to create wider economic and societal benefits.
https://www.force11.org/group/fairgroup/fairprinciples
Scottish Government Open Data Strategy (2015)

19. Why does spatial data matter?
We need the best data to inform our own decisions
People expect to find data online
In the next decade geospatial technology will be ubiquitous
Automated decision making through Big Data analysis

20. Vision:
We will create an environment in which spatial data from archaeological research is shared
openly, maximising its contribution to the study and stewardship of the past, and engages
positively with the broader geospatial environment.
Mission:
To develop a sustainable approach to collecting and sharing spatial data from archaeological
research that increases efficiency within our discipline, and releases the full potential of that
data to the broader geospatial environment.
One Archaeology
A Manifesto for the Systematic and Effective Use of Mapped Data from Archaeological Fieldwork and Research

21. The following principles underpin the delivery of the vision:
• Data should be collected once and maintained at a level where this can be done most effectively (Infrastructure).
• It should be possible to seamlessly combine data from different sources and share between many users and applications
(Interoperability).
• Data should be openly shared so that users can discover which spatial data is available, evaluate its fitness for purpose
and understand the conditions for reuse (Discoverability and licencing).
There is also a need to:
• build capacity within the profession to use and share spatial data;
• ensure that datasets are routinely and promptly updated;
• promote best practice;
• make data discoverable and available as View and Download Services, preferably under an Open Licence;
• adhere to the FAIR Data Principles.
One Archaeology
A Manifesto for the Systematic and Effective Use of Mapped Data from Archaeological Fieldwork and Research

22. Aim one: Delivering Archaeology
A Through communication and innovative practice, to foster a culture of collaboration and
ambition locally, nationally and internationally
Aim two: Enhancing understanding
B To make knowledge discoverable, accessible, referable and reusable now and for future
generations
Aim three: Caring and Protecting
A To enhance existing and develop new methods that encourage the sustainable
management and protection of our archaeological resource
B To ensure those managing change have access to expert advice and data
Aim four: Encouraging Greater Engagement
C To increase and improve the presentation and interpretation of archaeological information
Aim Five: Innovation and Skills: To support the innovation, development
and application of cutting-edge scientific techniques, more creative ways of funding,
organising and managing archaeological projects, and new approaches to communicating and
teaching archaeology
http://archaeologystrategy.scot/
For Scotland: the vision and mission of an Archaeological Spatial Data Infrastructure aligns with:

23. Scotland’s Historic Environment Data Strategy
Aim 1: To make major improvements and
enhancements to the sharing of, linking and access to
the information about the historic environment.
Aim 2: To develop standards and consistency within and
across the data.
Aim 3: Improved content, responding to user wishes
and needs.
Aim 4: Improved efficiency, including data creation,
keeping data updated, reducing duplication, seeking
additional resources, and addressing data security.
Aim 5: Training and promotion, and seeking user input
leading to continuing improvements.
and Scotland’s Historic Environment Data Strategy