Buried Data: Rethinking Long-Term Preservation in Digital Archaeology

Lale Özdemir 

Bartın Üniversitesi (BARÜ)

Associate Professor Dr.

Dr. Lale Özdemir studied at The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London for her undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Dr. Özdemir spent 10 years working at the UK National Archives specialising in records management, information rights and archival policy. Prior to leaving the UK for Türkiye, Özdemir was the Secretary to the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on National Records and Archives. Özdemir currently teaches at Bartın University in Türkiye, and has several national and international publications. 

Topic: Buried Data: Rethinking Long-Term Preservation in Digital Archaeology

*Lale Özdemir

**Ahmet Altay 

Information professionals also have a role in digital archaeology, as they are responsible for the continued access, preservation and archiving of digital archaeological data. However, the role of information professionals, be it archivists, digital archivists or librarians is often overlooked in the processes leading to the long-term preservation of archaeological data. This paper examines the issues and challenges relating to the long-term preservation of archaeological data such as digital obsolescence, lack of open access and reuse of data, lack of awareness about digital preservation practices, ethical considerations and the upskilling required by information professionals to effectively manage the life cycle of archaeological data. In conclusion, it is argued that information professionals will be required more and more to operate in interdisciplinary paradigms, and to think outside the box in terms of conventional roles and practice. 

Keywords: Long-term preservation, digital archaeology, information professional.