This document discusses the British Museum's database of archaeological finds and efforts to integrate geospatial data to enrich the records and make them more useful for research. Key points include: - The database contains records of archaeological objects found in the UK but spatial data is not fully utilized currently - Adding GPS coordinates and linking to other datasets like historical maps and photos could provide valuable context about the finds - Technical challenges include protecting private location data and displaying maps at appropriate levels of specificity - Integrating additional geospatial sources could help researchers study patterns of human activity and landscape use over time

1. Geodata @ The British Museum
Enriched archaeological records
Daniel Pett
dpett@britishmuseum.org / @portableant
finds.org.uk

2. Recording: one chance
 Our staff generally have one
chance to record
 Dissemination online is swift,
cheap, easy
 There is no other
archaeological database of this
size
 It is underused for research at
present
 The data it contains can tell a
thousand stories of our shared
heritage

3. GPS co-ordinates if possible

4. All objects recorded online

5. The Staffordshire Hoard

6. Frome (Somerset) Hoard

7. Crosby Garrett (Lancashire) Helmet

8. Objects referencing place:
The Staffordshire Moorlands trulla
This is a list of four forts located at the western end of Hadrian's Wall;
Bowness (MAIS), Drumburgh (COGGABATA), Stanwix (UXELODUNUM) and
Castlesteads (CAMMOGLANNA). it incorporates the name of an individual,
AELIUS DRACO and a further place-name, RIGOREVALI.
http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/49791

9. Why is the spatial data so
important?
Without provenance:
 A museum cannot acquire an object
 Is it looted?
 Did the landowner give permission?
 Context has been lost, we don’t know the
significance of the location of discovery.

10. "X" never, ever marks the spot.
Indiana Jones: Last Crusade
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_hocking/3318676289/in/photostream/

11. All objects we have recorded
• 1997 – 2010
• Topography is an issue
• Landowners and regulations
can prevent discovery
• Biases present in data
collection eg. Staff illness,
lack of car etc etc

12. Here be mountains
Staff based here

14. Using YQL
• Reverse geocode for WOEID for each findspot
against flickr.places
• Get flickr shapefile if exists for WOEID
• Obtain a co-ordinate for findspots where only
place is known (lower weight for academic use
though).
• Obtain elevation via the geonames api (for
viewshed analysis – surprisingly good!)
• Find objects within bounding boxes
• Query for archaeology images on flickr

15. Flickr shapefiles incorporated

16. Display problems
• Public users can only see find spots at a
resolution of 1km sq or 4 figure NGR
• Some find spots have to be hidden from public
view completely – we give a place a
pseudonym
• Maps make our finders and landowners jumpy
• Zoom level had to be reduced for public users
• WOEID can give away find location

17. Geoplanet data

18. Integration of old OS Maps
Layer provided by National Library of Scotland: http://geo.nls.uk/maps/api/

19. Water Newtonrally
Roman town of Durobrivae

20. Re-use of OS and EH point data
Both of these datasets came as CSV, now converted from grid refs to Lat/Lng and
WOEID (and also elevation for centre point) if anyone wants them.

21. What archaeologists would like: A database of
places – ancient & modern?
• Ancient place names
– Dates in use
– Co-ordinates at that time
– Affiliation (political)
– Example database – Pleiades, NYU
http://pleiades.stoa.org/
• Modern place names