Digital Archive of Huhugam Administrative Usage Data

tDAR Administrative usage data from the DAHA collection, produced for a manuscript titled The Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology and the Reuse of Archaeological Information

The reuse of information derived from past archaeological investigations is integral to contemporary research practices. Despite this, the archiving practices of many (but not all) scholars, cultural resource managers, and public agencies often fall short of meeting standard best practices. This limitation impedes the efficient and meaningful reuse of information in future research and management endeavors. To alleviate these archival and reuse concerns, the development of publicly available, secure, online archives is crucial to improving scholarly research, assisting in land-planning activities, and enhancing access to cultural heritage documents for Indigenous communities. In response to these challenges and in collaboration with state, federal, and tribal partners, the Center for Digital Antiquity (CDA) established the Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA). This archive, preserved in the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR), consolidates information from over 90-years of archaeological investigations in central and southern Arizona. This paper outlines the process of constructing the archive, emphasizing the importance of reuse and detailing the current methods for assessing reuse, distinguishing between quantity and quality. While metrics such as page views and downloads are commonly employed, we believe that these used on their own fails to adequately capture the true value of reused data to academics, cultural resource managers, Arizona’s Indigenous communities, and the public.