Wessex Archaeology is exploring the benefits of implementing a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) to better manage their large volumes of spatial archaeological data. An SDI would improve data quality, accessibility, and efficiency by integrating disparate resources through common technology standards and policies. Wessex Archaeology has begun implementing an SDI using tools like ArcGIS, QGIS and GeoServer to capture, store, analyze and share spatial data both internally and with external partners and databases. Further adoption of SDI approaches across the heritage sector could maximize data sharing and reuse.

1. Wessex Archaeology
SDI: A perspective from a UK
archaeological unit
Concepts and ideas to practical
implementation
Paul Cripps
•Geomatics Manager, Wessex Archaeology
•Archaeological Computing Research Group, University of Southampton
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

2. Wessex Archaeology
Overview
• Why?
– Benefits of SDI based
approaches
• How?
– How do we use the tools
available?
– Workflows & Systems
– Advantages/disadvantages
• The story so far…
• Where next…?
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

3. Wessex Archaeology
Why…?
• Need to manage spatial data effectively
– Discovery
– Retrieval
– Use & re-use
– Publication & Dissemination
• Bulk of archaeological data is spatial or can be spatially
referenced
• Improvements in
– Quality
– Accessibility (internal & external)
– Efficiency
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

4. Wessex Archaeology
Current context
• Disparate resources, silos, disjointed data management
– Wastes time/money
– duplicated effort
• Need for efficiency
– Cost savings
– Improved workflows
– Frees up time to focus on what matters
• Change Management @ Wessex Archaeology
– Satellite offices
– Process Modelling
– Integration
• Aim: Improved, effective business processes
– Data flows; is enhanced, reused, shared, published, archived
• Can use GIS/SDI based approaches to help achieve this
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

5. Wessex Archaeology
What is SDI?
• A Spatial Data Infrastructure is a framework of
geographic data, metadata, users and tools that
are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in
an efficient and flexible way
• The technologies, policies, standards, human
resources, and related activities necessary to create,
acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and
preserve spatial data
• a coordinated series of agreements on technology
standards, institutional arrangements, and
policies that enable the discovery and use of
geospatial information by users and for purposes other
than those it was created for
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

6. Wessex Archaeology
What is SDI?
• software client(s) - to display, query, and analyse
spatial data (eg Desktop/web GIS, CAD)
• a catalogue service - for the discovery, browsing, and
querying of metadata or spatial services, spatial datasets
and other resources
• spatial data webservices - allowing the delivery of
data via the Internet to disparate clients / platforms
• processing services - such as datum and projection
transformations
• a (spatial) data repository - to store data
• GIS software - to create and update spatial data
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

7. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Design:
– Theoretical issues
– Practical issues
• Implementation
– Software
– Hardware
– Users
– Protocols, policies, procedures, training
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

8. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Theoretical Design issues
• Needs to support the archaeological process
– Multi-vocality
– Assertion & inference, evidential trails
– Revision, version control & iterative thought processes
• Discovery & consumption of external data
– WMS/WFS easy, but needs to reference particular version of any
data
• Provision of data externally
– Linked Open Data
• User interactions
– Must be positive!
– Easy to use; help & support not additional drain on resources
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

9. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Practical Design issues
• Costs!
– Needs to be affordable
– Needs to offer recognisable cost-benefits
– Development time, licenses, etc
• Systems Development & Maintenance
– Modularity; easy to replace components
– Modularity; tackle big picture piecemeal (=achievable)
• Platforms
– Skills
– Interoperability & standards compliance
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

10. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Implementation; software
• Combination of platforms; modular
– Web based mapping for resource discovery & basic
interrogation
– CAD + GIS clients for data management
– Mobile clients for fieldwork
• Open source vs proprietary
– Pragmatic; use what is most effective
– Components; modular
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

11. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Implementation; software • GRASS, R, QGIS
• ArcGIS (desktop, mobile, – Analysis, processing,
server & cloud) visualisation
– data capture, management, • Homebrew: ‘Ladybird’ &
processing specialist tools
• Geoserver – Field survey data processing,
– web mapping, data marine geophysics analysis
management, search & workflow
retrieval – Project initiation, planning &
• OpenLayers, OpenSpace management
– web based interfaces • SQL Server, PostGIS, MS
Access
• AutoCAD Map
– Data & metadata repositories
– data management
• Interfaces to corporate
• GoogleMaps, PocketGIS, Leica systems
Smartworx
– Accounts, project
– mobile mapping, data capture management, etc
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

12. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Implementation; hardware • Survey instruments
• Desktop/laptop PCs – Leica Viva
– General use, off-the-shelf – Mobile Matrix
• GIS Workstations • Mobile platforms
– Specialist geoprocessing, – Tablets for building recording
analysis – Tablets/mini-tablets for on-site
– Custom built indices/records
• Servers – Smartphones
– File servers • Thin clients
– Application servers; remote – Access to remote apps
applications – Access to web apps
– Web servers
– GIS servers
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

13. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Implementation; users • Needs to support the
• The soft stuff archaeological process
– Buy in important – Empowerment
– Quality
• Equally important!
• Training • Needs to support
corporate objectives
– Use of GIS
– Efficiency
– Survey techniques
– Internal procedures
• Documentation – Internal/External standards
– Self-service – Business intelligence,
• 1st & 2nd level support planning, etc
– Protocols, availability,
escalation
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

14. Wessex Archaeology
SDI @ Wessex Archaeology
• Advantages • Disadvantages
• Improved use and re-use • Investment
of spatial data – Capital expenditure
• Better access to & – Skills & training
sharing of (meta)data • Potentially complex
• Information Systems and architecture
workflows in harmony • Need for wider adoption
• Efficiency to realise full potential
– Eg limited access to
• Cost-savings
external data sources
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

15. Wessex Archaeology
Where next…?
• Greater adoption of such approaches within
heritage sector
• Broader initiatives in place and/or in development
– eg Inspire
• Digital archives eg ADS
– Eg Deposition of fieldwork data as CRM-EH RDF
– Facilitates search, retrieval, re-use
– Facilitates consumption of (meta)data by eg WA SDI
• Contractors & service providers
– Minimum standards/specifications for digital data as part of WSI
– Reduce dependence on dead trees
– Benefits for all through more efficient use of digital (spatial) data
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

16. Wessex Archaeology
Where next…?
• Greater adoption of such approaches within
heritage sector
• Local/National inventories eg NMR, HERs, SMRs
– Public access to Heritage Gateway API…?
– Better concordance between digital records
– Improved processes for exchange of (meta)data
• Blocks are now largely political not technological
– Whose data is it anyway…?
– Provision of services, costs, benefits
• Does the current model for heritage data management
work…?
– Costly, restricts access, wastes time, skills shortages, quality of
data, etc
– Potential for unified SDI with local inputs…?
– maximise expertise, minimise waste
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.

17. Wessex Archaeology
Thanks!
• For more information, please contact me:
• p.cripps@wessexarch.co.uk
• www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/geomatics Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. Southampton. March 2012.