Find Logbook: Provision of a Central Infrastructure for Recording Small rchaeological finds
A large number of small archaeological finds are reported by metal detectorists and volunteers. These finds provide important information for the preservation of archaeological monuments, which is enshrined in law. At the same time, they represent a significant but hitherto neglected scientific source for archaeological research.
Until now, reporting such finds to scientific systems has been a labour-intensive process. Analogue recording processes are time-consuming and error-prone for both finders and monument authorities. They lead to delays in scientific evaluation and conservation measures, and the data often reaches the research community late or not at all.
These challenges are to be addressed by developing a fully digital infrastructure: with a mobile app, a central database and web portals for finders and authorities, find reports will in future be recorded in a standardised, error-free and directly machine-readable format. Through standardised interfaces and the use of standards developed within the framework of NFDI4Objects, the collected data is seamlessly transferred to the specialist information systems of the state monument authorities, where it is processed in an interoperable and sustainable manner and can thus be made available for research. The development of the infrastructure is to be financed by the DFG.
The aim of the infrastructure is to increase the visibility and scientific usability of citizen science data in archaeology, to strengthen the involvement of volunteers, and to ensure that new archaeological finds are quickly incorporated into research and monument preservation.