Digital Archiving for Archaeological Units at Historic Environment Scotland

Addyman Archaeology – Edinburgh, 26 Nov. 2019
Digital Archiving for Archaeological
Units at Historic Environment
Scotland
Stuart Macdonald | Digital Archivist
Archives & Engagement | Heritage Directorate
Historic Environment Scotland |
Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba
stuart.macdonald@hes.scot
Addyman Archaeology Collection - Archaeology Phases 2-5, Scottish Seabird Centre

Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
HES core functions
Archival collections
Canmore
Digital archiving
Processes
Future developments
Questions
Addyman Archaeology Collection
Standing Building Survey, Elevation Drawings, Laundry House, Spott House

Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
HES is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic
environment.
A non-departmental public body with charitable status, governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by
Scottish Ministers.
• 300+ properties and sites in care
• 5 million visitors to our staffed sites in 2018
• 5 million+ drawings, photographs, negatives and manuscripts relating to Scotland’s historic environment
• tens of millions of aerial photographs of historic events and locations worldwide
• 200,000 members
• Over £40 million commercial income per year
• 1,280 staff across Scotland

Core functions include:
• Heritage management: maintain listings of world heritage sites, scheduled monuments, listed
buildings, gardens and designed landscapes, battlefields.
• Advice and guidance: on the impact of planning and development on Scotland’s historic
environment (on land and marine).
• Climate change: exploring affects on the historic environment & how to limit impact.
• Conservation: maintain over 300 monuments and buildings in our care.
• Research: understand, protect, value, impact and track changes in our historic environment.
• Historic Environment Scotland is an Independent Research Organisation with AHRC & part of the Scottish Cultural
Heritage Consortium
• Survey and recording: building and industrial surveys, archaeology field surveys, aerial surveys,
maritime surveys – data management.
Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, Burials
http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1868279

Archival collections include:
• National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) - one of the world’s largest collections of historic
aerial photography.
• Scran - an online public learning service containing images and media from museums, galleries, and
archives.
• Scotland’s Urban Past - database of historical places, buildings and artifacts celebrating Scotland's
urban environments and how these have changed over time.
• Britain from Above – historic aerial images of Britain taken from 1919 to 1953.
• PastMap - interactive online map to locate Scotland’s archaeological and historic sites.
• Canmore - the online catalogue of the National Record of the Historic Environment.

Canmore - https://canmore.org.uk/
Contains more than 350,000 records and 1.5 million catalogue entries for archaeological sites, buildings,
industry and maritime heritage across Scotland including physical and digital assets.
Contains information and collections from HES survey and recording work, as well as from a wide range of
other organisations, communities and individuals who are helping to enhance the national record.
• Sites - location of individual sites, buildings or wrecks.
• Events – excavation, walking survey, field visit, LIDAR survey, pollen analysis, side beam sonar survey.
• Catalogue of physical archival material - historic photographs, drawings, manuscripts, models.
• Catalogue of digital archival material (“data”) – digital photographs, GIS data, CAD drawings,
photogrammetry.

Digital archiving at HES
Data assets received from a variety of
sources including:
• with physical accessions
• architect firms
• archaeological units
• private donations
• field surveys
• digitisation efforts
• funded research projects
Primarily on CD & secure file share but also email, ftp, external hard drive, pen drive, even floppy
disk.
Digital files include: digital photographs/images, documents, CAD drawings, geophysical data, raw
text, spreadsheets, databases, audio and video.
In a range of accepted proprietary and standard formats predefined by digital archive policies and
guidance.
Addyman Archaeology Collection, Tunnel Excavation drawing

HES Archive: Digital repository

Digital repository processes

Quarantine:
Data are allocated an accession number and then transferred to non-networked quarantine
PCs from original media (using Robocopy for large volumes).
Data are then virus-checked and transferred to a Digital Archive external hard-drive for 30 days.
After 30 days the data on the Digital Archive hard-drive are then virus-checked again.
When two virus scans are passed data are safe to copy onto a networked PC for ingest into an
Oracle accessions database.
For data received on floppy discs digital archivists use disc-readers or a tool called Kryoflux to
take an image of the disk and digital content. Decisions then need to be made about file
migration if content is readable and/or formats are obsolete.

Accession:
Following quarantine files are ingested from a pre-defined folder into a holding Accessions
Database via a process in the Oracle Sites and Archive System (SAS).
Digital Archive staff are alerted when this is complete.
All files are given individual MD5 checksums for integrity checking & fixity. This information is
recorded along with DROID characteristics for each file.
Data can then be uploaded from a network folder for cataloguing using the Oracle SAS.
Currently a backlog of c. 571,000 files (2.4TB) being addressed as part of a 4-year digitisation
project.

Catalogue:
Incoming data can come in many digital file formats.
Before data are catalogued manual checks are done on files to organise the data (into relevant hierarchies if
need be).
Tools including DROID, FME, QGIS, IrfanView are used to identify and validate new file formats and their
characteristics.
Data are then ingested and catalogued according to ISAD-G metadata standard and linked to relevant site,
event and physical archival information.
Stained glass panels, Newhaven harbour, Edinburgh

Control over whether metadata OR metadata and data
are published are influenced by issues such as copyright,
privacy etc.
Minimum Standard Records: On-going work to
standardise site, event, archive (physical and digital)
metadata capture.
Once catalogued Oracle SAS run scheduled overnight jobs
to transfer data to external Digital Repository Storage.
Data e.g. digital images becomes visible on Canmore.
IT administer storage and security processes such as disc-
space, back-up schedules, disaster-recovery plans in line
with operational and security policies. Addyman Archaeology Collection
Tunnel Excavation, Sample from Site, Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick
http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1879954

Searching Canmore

Preservation
The Digital Repository is not just responsible for generating digital content for Canmore, we must also deal
with the preservation of the data.
We must ensure we are keeping up with best practice for file formats, technology watch for file format
obsolesce, new technological advances and ways to migrate/emulate data in order to both preserve and
disseminate for future re-use.

Future developments
1. 4-year Digitisation Project (2017-2020) funded by HES Investment Plan (£250,000 p.a.)
Pilot year:
• 175,000 digital images catalogued .
Years 2-4:
• creation of 125,000 new digital images from physical material.
• catalogue 125,000 items from Digital Archive backlog.
• c. 1 million digital images accessible on Canmore.
2. HES Digital repository applying for Core Trust Seal Trusted Digital Repository Accreditation –
October 2019.
• 16 requirements express the core characteristics of a trustworthy data repository or archive
• CTS offers core accreditation and is a solid foundation for higher-level certification including nestor-Seal DIN 31644 (34
metrics) and the formal level TDR certification ISO 16363 (109 metrics).

• The application process will clarify and articulate HES’s digital archival practices.
• Help determine strengths/weaknesses.
• Help to identify service gaps.
• Promote trust and confidence between the three stakeholders in the data supply chain.
• ensure all are working to a common set of standards or principles.
• Easier to conduct systematic review of technical / human processes in future.
• As/when new tools, technologies, standards emerge the repository will be better equipped to respond to changes
in data stewardship workflows.
• Raise the profile of the archive and digital preservation with HES senior managers.
• Highlights areas of interworking between archival colleagues for purposes of streamlining operations.
• Improves national and international recognition and reputation.
2. cont’d - CTS - organisational and community benefits

3. Preservation & data migration
HES have invested in an enterprise instance of Preservica as the preservation platform for the Digital
repository.
Preservica will provide us with the means to auto migrate certain file formats on ingest, as well as mass
migrate at a later date if a specific file type becomes ‘at risk’.
Safeguarding data integrity, authenticity, provenance / enhanced interoperability
Testing on integrating with Oracle on existing infrastructure done.
Digital repository data and servers moving to state-of-the-art secure data facility – Data Vita (Winter
2019).
Work to commence testing and integrating Preservica into new technical environment (Spring 2020).

4. Policies & procedures
• A suite of digital repository policies have been written and ratified by HES SMT e.g. Mission
statement, Collections Policy, Preservation and Storage Policy
• These will be made public shortly.
• Work on-going to formalise operational procedures through guidance and procedural documents.
• Public-facing documents to support TDR best-practice.
• Re-evaluate and define the Digital Repository within HES as core service:
• using consistency of vocabulary/terminology
• active outreach and engagement
• integration with new documents management system
• corporate archiving role

Many thanks!
e: stuart.macdonald@hes.scot

Digital Archiving for Archaeological Units at Historic Environment Scotland

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Similaire à Digital Archiving for Archaeological Units at Historic Environment Scotland

Similaire à Digital Archiving for Archaeological Units at Historic Environment Scotland (20)

Plus de Historic Environment Scotland

Plus de Historic Environment Scotland (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Digital Archiving for Archaeological Units at Historic Environment Scotland

Notes de l'éditeur