Good Digital Curation: Sharing and Preserving Archaeological Data as Part of Your Regular Workflow

Archaeology is awash in digital data collected as part of surveys, excavations, laboratory analyses, and comparative studies.  Sophisticated statistical analyses, spatial studies, contextual comparisons, a variety of scanning technologies, and other contemporary methods and techniques both use and generate complex and detailed digital archaeological data.  Digital data are easier to duplicate, reanalyze, share, and preserve if they are curated properly.  However, digital data curation differs in important ways from the curation of physical collections.  The Center for Digital Antiquity maintains tDAR (the Digital Archaeological Record), which specializes in digital data curation. We will review digital curation methods and techniques, including the means of sustaining long-term access and preservation of data. Illustrations will describe how archaeological data curated in tDAR are available for research, information management, and public outreach.