Books by David Novák
There is a significant disparity in the value of archaeological data and their handling within he... more There is a significant disparity in the value of archaeological data and their handling within heritage management practice. This imbalance threatens the preservation of cultural heritage being continuously removed from the landscape and transformed into archives of (digital) archaeological documentation. To mitigate the risks, systemic changes are necessary. These changes require political decision-making to provide the resources, a clear framework, and the tools to create a sustainable and meaningful environment for archaeological archiving, leading to the highest possible social benefit. The Archaeological Archives Working Group of the EAC proposes a set of basic principles for the handling of primary documentary archives and recommend practical measures to be taken in the legislative and organisational framework and derived archaeological practice. The proposed measures should be applied as widely as possible as a basic standard of care for archaeological cultural heritage.
Metodika zpracování a archivace dat leteckého průzkumu v archeologii je jedním z výstupů, kterými... more Metodika zpracování a archivace dat leteckého průzkumu v archeologii je jedním z výstupů, kterými se uzavírá nejen výzkumný projekt Archeologie z nebe, ale svým způsobem i jedna z etap letecké archeologie a digitalizace archeologických dat v ČR. Obě tyto oblasti se u nás začaly rozvíjet na počátku 90. let minulého století, a to zprvu samostatně, postupem času ve stále užší spolupráci. Tato odvětví archeologické práce prošly v Česku v uplynulém desetiletí hlubší proměnou, která pro oblast digitální dokumentace znamenala vznik institucionalizované výzkumné infrastruktury Archeologický informační systém ČR a pro leteckou archeologii plný příklon k digitálním technologiím sběru, uchovávání, analýzy a prezentace dat. V současné době si lze již těžko představit letecký průzkum bez digitálních technologií a zároveň obraz archeologického dědictví země bez atraktivních a odborně cenných leteckých snímků. Poučeni živelními pohromami v Archeologických ústavech AV ČR v letech 2002 a 2008 dnes víme i to, že digitalizace je jedinou cestou záchrany starších dat, jejich zajištění před budoucí ztrátou a také cestou k jejich plnému využití (díky zpřístupnění širokému okruhu odborníků i dalších zájemců). Necháme-li stranou rozvoj vlastních technologií, který bude vždy úkolem pro užší okruh specialistů, přináší rozvoj digitalizace v letecké archeologii dva hlavní úkoly pro většinu archeologů, kteří v této oblasti pracují. Prvním z nich je převod a popis starších, analogových dokumentů do digitální podoby, protože staré snímky mohou obsahovat nenahraditelné informace, které by byla škoda nechat pohřbené v archivech a vystavené postupnému úbytku jejich informační hodnoty. Druhým úkolem je uznat nároky, jež s sebou nástup informační společnosti obecně přináší, tedy nutnost širší spolupráce mezi odborníky, sdílení informací a koordinace odborných postupů. Zatímco celý projekt Archeologie z nebe se zaměřoval na úkol první, pomoc s druhým úkolem nabízí tato metodika. Metodiky tohoto typu dnes vznikají v celé Evropě, ale není jich zatím mnoho a zdaleka nepokrývají všechny oblasti archeologické práce. Přímo k našemu tématu byla dosud publikována jen metodika („Guide to Good Practice“), kterou v roce 1999 připravila přední britská instituce Archaeology Data Service; avšak už z data jejího vydání je patrné, že nemůže plně pokrývat potřeby dnešní doby, nemluvě o specifické situaci české archeologie a jejích postupech. Na archivaci archeologických dat se zaměřuje příručka Evropské archeologické rady z roku 2014, která vyšla i v českém překladu – je ovšem obecná a neřeší specifické otázky letecké archeologie. Z českých příruček se našeho tématu dotýká okrajově jen metodika identifikace nemovitých archeologických památek z roku 2017. Autoři předložené příručky a členové odborného týmu projektu Archeologie z nebe jsou přesvědčeni, že tato metodika přispěje k ochraně specifické části archeologického dědictví v Česku. Věříme také, že k tisícům leteckých archeologických snímků, které jsou již dnes zpřístupněny prostřednictvím Digitálního archivu AMČR, přibudou brzy další fondy a že tento fakt přispěje k rozvoji odborného výzkumu i zájmu o archeologii ze strany veřejnosti.
Nad archeologickými fondy se příliš často uvažuje až zpětně – jako o sbírkách nálezů a dokumentů,... more Nad archeologickými fondy se příliš často uvažuje až zpětně – jako o sbírkách nálezů a dokumentů, které zbydou po ukončení intelektuálního procesu odkryvu, popisu, analýzy a interpretace a po sepsání a vydání knihy nebo článku. Nic nemůže být dále od pravdy. Archeologický fond je trvalým dědictvím neopakovatelné události a představuje – nebo by alespoň měl představovat – velkou část významu zkoumaného naleziště nebo památky. Fond by měl být vnímán jako mocný zdroj, který umožňuje testovat a znovu ověřovat teorie, rozvíjet znalosti a otevírat komukoli možnosti přístupu. Existuje řada důkazů o obrovském potenciálu tohoto zdroje, ale mám na mysli zejména jeden konkrétní. V časopise Gene vyšel článek podávající přehled přínosů zkoumání paleopatologie a genetiky (Anastasiou – Mitchell 2013), které se zakládá na vzorcích odebraných z materiálů uchovávaných v archivech a sbírkách. Autoři došli k závěru, že „extrakce a identifikace patogenní DNA z archeologických vzorků umožňuje mnohem hlubší pochopení evoluční historie a fylogeneze důležitých lidských patogenů, protože demonstruje evoluční vývoj. Tyto informace mohou být klíčové pro předvídání postupných genetických změn v budoucnosti, a mohou tak mít zásadní dopad na naši schopnost potlačit nebo vymýtit tyto nemoci“. V době covidu-19, kdy píšu tento text, je velmi těžké takový argument pro péči o naše společné dědictví zpochybnit. Prostor pro uložení archeologických fondů zároveň ale není a nemůže být nekonečný. Čím více odkryvů provádíme, tím větší je tlak na dostupné kapacity pro dlouhodobé uložení. Jako správci archeologického dědictví musíme zajistit, aby způsob naší praxe byl dlouhodobě udržitelný. Z praktických a finančních důvodů proto musíme co nejlépe rozhodnout, co uchovávat. Tato vynikající příručka je výsledkem mnohaleté usilovné práce mnoha odborníků v oboru v mnoha zemích. Tím, že ukazuje cestu k rozumné selekci, pomáhá vyvážit dva stejně důležité problémy – dosáhnout pokračující podpory našeho společného archeologického dědictví a zároveň zajistit, aby budoucí generace s budoucími technologiemi a možnostmi mohly na základě naší práce a práce těch, kteří přišli před námi, i nadále přinášet veřejnosti skutečný prospěch.
Archaeological archives have too often been considered as afterthoughts – the collections of obje... more Archaeological archives have too often been considered as afterthoughts – the collections of objects and documents which are left after the intellectual process of excavation, investigation, analysis and interpretation is finished and the book or article written and published. Nothing could be further from the truth. An archive is the lasting legacy of an unrepeatable event and represents – or at least should represent – much of the significance of the site or monument studied. An archive should be seen as a powerful resource to test and re-test theories, to advance knowledge and to create opportunities for access for everyone.
Numerous proofs exist of the huge potential in this resource but one in particular comes to mind. An article in Gene reviewed the contributions made by the investigation of palaeopathology and genetics (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23792062/), using samples from curated specimens in archives and collections. It concluded that ‘extraction and identification of pathogen DNA from archaeological specimens allows a much deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and phylogeny of important human pathogens, as it demonstrates evolution in progress. This information may be key to predicting progressive genetic change in the future, and so have major implications for our ability to control or eradicate these diseases’. As I write, in the time of Covid-19, it is very hard to challenge this as an argument for taking care of our shared legacy.
At the same time, the space for storing archaeological archives and collections is not, and cannot be, infinite. The more we excavate, the greater the pressure on available capacity to store for the long term. As archaeological heritage managers, it is vital that we ensure that how we practice is sustainable in the long term. For practical and financial reasons, we must therefore make the best choices we can about what to keep.
This excellent guidance is the result of many years of hard work in many countries, by many experts in the field. By offering guidance on intelligent selection, it will help to balance these two equally important issues, to make the case for continued support for our shared archaeological legacy, and to ensure that future generations, with future technology and capabilities, can continue to generate real public benefit from our work and that of those who have come before us.
Tato publikace vznikla v rámci projektu Oppida a další hradiště -mezikulturní srovnání podporovan... more Tato publikace vznikla v rámci projektu Oppida a další hradiště -mezikulturní srovnání podporovaného Grantovou agenturou České republiky (reg. č. 17-20106S).
This publication provides the first comprehensive information on “national” database
systems in t... more This publication provides the first comprehensive information on “national” database
systems in the archaeology of the Czech Republic (CR), especially for foreign
experts. It represents a description and evaluation of a certain phase of development
of these systems that began after the political and social changes in 1989. It
is therefore based on twenty-five years of work characterized mainly, as far as
technical development is concerned, by the particularly rapid expansion of digital
technologies. The book, however, covers not only their technical descriptions,
but rather aims at their application and potential impacts on the archaeological
community.
Edited volumes and translations by David Novák
Internet Archaeology: Issue 58, 2021
The advent of ubiquitous computing has created a golden age for archaeological researchers and pa... more The advent of ubiquitous computing has created a golden age for archaeological researchers and participating publics, but the price is a digital resource that is now in jeopardy. The archaeological record, in digital form, is at risk not simply from obsolescence and media failure, but the domain is also unable to fully participate in Open Data. Without swift and informed consensus and intervention, archaeology will lose the majority of its research data legacy and capacity to a digital Dark Age. It faces a number of challenges, distinct from those encountered in other domains:
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
A comprehensive set of Guidelines to FAIRify data management and make data reusable is focusing o... more A comprehensive set of Guidelines to FAIRify data management and make data reusable is focusing on the topic of common policies. This compact guide offers twenty guidelines to align the efforts of data producers, data archivists and data users in humanities and social sciences to make research data as reusable as possible based upon the FAIR Principles. Each guideline has recommendations for both researchers and archives as it is recognised that different priorities may apply to each case.
The guidelines result from the work of over fifty PARTHENOS, ARIADNEplus and SEADDA project members. They were responsible for investigating commonalities in the implementation of policies and strategies for research data management and used results from desk research, questionnaires and interviews with selected experts to gather around one hundred current data management policies (including guides for preferred formats, data review policies and best practices, both formal as well as tacit).
Novák, D. (ed.) 2018: Sborník abstraktů / Abstract Book. Počítačová podpora v archeologii 17 / 20... more Novák, D. (ed.) 2018: Sborník abstraktů / Abstract Book. Počítačová podpora v archeologii 17 / 2018 – Computer Applications in Archaeology 17 / 2018. Kouty, 28.–30. 5. 2018. Praha / Prague.
Conference Proccedings of the Student Session of the 19th Annual Meeting of the European Associat... more Conference Proccedings of the Student Session of the 19th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologist in Pilsen and 5th Student Conference „The Landscape in the Past, the Past in the Landscape“.
Papers by David Novák
Člověk, stavba a územní plánování, 2023
The cultural character of the landscape stems not only from its current economic structure but al... more The cultural character of the landscape stems not only from its current economic structure but also from the anthropogenic past reflected in numerous relics, which show that people in the past also used the part of the landscape that is now protected for its natural values. However, the intensity of these activities was linked to general settlement strategies with a strong respect to the geomorphological characteristics of the landscape. Large-scale protected natural areas are characterised by exceptional landscape features or significant natural values. Even in these parts of the landscape, past human influence was significant and left its traces. The intensity and specifics of this influence are presented in the paper on the basis of archaeological data. The archaeological data were processed into a grid whose values are related to the number of archaeological periods present in the given area. The protected landscape was used by people rather sporadically and the increase in activity can only be associated with the mediaeval and modern periods. Areas of the unprotected landscape were more intensively used in the past. However, the explanation for the difference is not based on social preferences but on the geomorphological structure of the protected landscape and its associated settlement history.
Internet Archaeology, 2023
This article discusses the importance of the Portal of Amateur Collaborators and the Register of ... more This article discusses the importance of the Portal of Amateur Collaborators and the Register of Individual Finds of the Archaeological Map of the Czech Republic (AMCR-PAS) in preserving data from metal-detecting activities in the Czech Republic. The context and legal framework of metal detecting in the country are explained along with the establishment of AMCR-PAS. The collaboration between amateur and professional archaeologists is also discussed. The recorded finds are analysed in terms of chronological, typological and spatial distribution. The AMCR-PAS system is recognised as a crucial tool for the preservation of data from metal detecting, and provides a valuable resource for national and transnational archaeological research, enabled especially by aggregation of AMCR-PAS data in the ARIADNE infrastructure. Overall, this article highlights the significance of the AMCR-PAS system and its potential to contribute to the understanding of the country's rich archaeological heritage. It also examines the shortcomings and challenges that accompany applying the system in practice.
Preslia, 2023
Tracing human-vegetation interactions that occurred in the past has always been one of the key to... more Tracing human-vegetation interactions that occurred in the past has always been one of the key topics of paleoecology. Here we use the pollen and archaeological databases available for the Czech Republic to determine links between individual pollen taxa and archaeological data and search for the spatial scales of comparability. The datasets include 1,500 pollen samples and 65,000 archaeological components covering the period from 12,000 to 700 cal. BP , divided into time windows of 250 years. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to measure the link between pollen and archaeological data at different sites. Using generalized additive models for the whole dataset, we explained the variance of pollen by archaeologically registered human activities and by two environmental variables . The first was the overall trend for each taxon in the Holocene representing the long-term dynamics of the species, the second was the elevation of pollen sites. Both factors affect species representation over the whole period studied or/and the area and cannot be statistically separated from human-induced changes. Both decrease the indicative strength of anthropogenic pollen; however, elevation did so more than the Holocene trend, since past human activities and elevation are strongly correlated and account for the first main gradient. The pollen taxa with a positive correlation with the level of past human activity, indicated by all methods, are: Plantago lanceolata, Artemisia and Amaranthaceae, re-sprouting edible trees that tolerate fire and pruning (Quercus) and pioneer trees (Pinus). Probability indicating the presence or absence of archaeological evidence when pollen of these species is present or absent is high (0.56–0.76). However, explained variability by the full model is low (0.01–0.09). Fagus, Carpinus and Abies expand during the late-successional stages after human disturbance, therefore their relationships to past human activity are negative when considering a 250-year time window. Secale does not correlate at the level of individual sites due to its late appearance during the Holocene. We ascribe the weak relationship between archaeological data and pollen of Cerealia to inconsistent determinations. The radius of comparability of pollen and archaeological evidence is around tens of kilometres due to the spatial resolution of archaeology is the area of a parish, but lower for herbaceous plants (15–20 km) than for trees (30–40 km). This critical comparison delimits overlaps and gaps between widely-used assumptions and data-based evidence.
Internet Archaeology, 2023
Summary
A map of Europe showing countries or regions in color that have responded to a survey
Cou... more Summary
A map of Europe showing countries or regions in color that have responded to a survey
Countries or regions with recorded responses to the survey. Administrative boundaries: European Commission – Eurostat/GISCO
The digital transition in archaeology is often taken for granted, yet the process is far from complete. The topic of digital archiving has been addressed by both the EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives and the SEADDA COST Action. These two entities joined forces to produce a special issue of Internet Archaeology, bringing together contributions on digital archiving practices from over two dozen countries. The articles were later analysed by EAC and SEADDA to compare the international situation. The results reveal both shared difficulties associated with the issue of documentary archives worldwide and examples of good practices that help to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was also carried out to complement the findings resulting from the interpretation of the published articles, with supporting data covering the whole European area in a balanced way. The survey allowed for the compilation of an overview of the situation in 27 countries (30 regions) of Europe. All respondents were experts involved in digital archiving and/or heritage data management in individual countries. Based on the collected information, the discrepancy between the value of archaeological data and its position within heritage management practice is already proving to be a major shortcoming.
There are imbalances in the level of attention – and the resulting level of protection – given to archives of (digital) archaeological documentation. If we want to find a way to improve the situation, it is necessary to initiate systemic changes, which should manifest themselves on a number of levels. However, these changes are conditional on a political decision that will give the whole process legitimacy, the necessary resources, a clear framework, and the required tools. It is needed to formulate general principles and co-create an environment, including a legislative one, in which archaeological archiving can be carried out in a sustainable and meaningful way in order to bring the highest possible public benefit. Compared with other initiatives, we consider it essential to primarily follow the systemic changes (top-down approach) rather than strive for change in the individual practice of researchers. It is the only way to achieve the real persistence of irreplaceable archaeological data. This article summarises the results achieved and presents proposed approaches to improve the situation in digital archaeological archiving. It concludes, among other things, by proposing a set of guiding principles for archiving primary archaeological data.
Journal of Ecology, 2023
Human population has affected natural ecosystems since prehistoric times in many ways, causing di... more Human population has affected natural ecosystems since prehistoric times in many ways, causing disturbances in existing ecosystems and creating novel habitats, and altering the colonisation and extinction rates with potentially long-lasting effects on biodiversity. Here, we explored the pervasive effects of past human occupancy on present-day diversity and the distribution of plant species introduced by humans in the distant past—archaeophytes—at the regional spatial scale.
We analysed spatial relations between the present-day species richness of archaeophytes and native flora, the environmental setting, archaeological evidence, and the relationship between the residence time of archaeophytes and their regional range size. We used fine-scaled gridded information on plant diversity and archaeological records for the period 6000 BCE to 1000 CE summarised as average occupancy probability (AOP) in Czechia, Central Europe.
The proportion of archaeophytes in the local flora positively correlated with AOP. Variation partitioning revealed largely overlapping effects of AOP, environmental conditions, and present-day land use on the relative diversity of archaeophytes in local flora. The relationship between the minimum residence time of introduced species and their regional range size was non-significant.
Synthesis. Present-day regional diversity of archaeophytes mirrored the intensity of past human settlements. Our results suggest that the main underlying mechanism is the environmental filtering of non-native species pools, while dispersal limitation plays a minor role in the regional patterns of archaeophyte diversity.
Slovak Journal of Civil Engineering, 2022
LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) have transformed the archaeological study of landsc... more LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) have transformed the archaeological study of landscape features, broadened our technical capabilities, and enhanced the accuracy with which terrain relief is described. These models also place demands on how researchers and analysts interpret DEM content in the context of the modern landscape. LiDAR-based DEMs contain modern man-made structures that can significantly influence model properties. Although data are usually filtered and some of these artificial features are removed during bare-earth classification, many terrain interventions remain visible. This large-scale case study applies established methods to a freely available DEM of the Czech Republic in an attempt to evaluate differences between original and filtered DEMs. It applies a fully automated filtering procedure using vector topographic maps to avoid manual corrections that would make the procedure problematic when used on a macro scale. The results of our archaeological GIS analysis demonstrate that this procedure, despite its relative simplicity, can achieve a significantly better representation of a landscape compared to that offered by an unfiltered DEM. Finally, we propose a series of future steps with a view to developing a more comprehensive and accurate model and overcoming its limitations.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2022
Estimating past population dynamics has become a major research topic for archaeology, which uses... more Estimating past population dynamics has become a major research topic for archaeology, which uses several proxies for studying past demography. The Czech Republic represents a unique region with abundant digital archaeological and palynological datasets comprising tens of thousands of records covering the whole Holocene. We used these datasets to quantify long-term demographic trends and to delimit past human activity in space and time. Our results, based on large data from both disciplines, are one of the first quantitative results covering the whole Czech Republic. Through summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates and spatio-temporal modelling of human activity based on archaeological sites, we identified four major demographic events and processes between 10,000 BCE and 1000 CE – the beginning of the Neolithic at 5400 BCE, the Eneolithic/Bronze Age transition in the 3rd millennium BCE, Bronze Age expansion after 1500 BCE, and mediaeval expansion after 500 CE. We identified two settlement cores in the lowlands, with additional inner and outer peripheries with different demographic histories. Our study clearly shows that prehistoric and early historic population dynamics were not a homogenised process and were regionalized according to local environmental and social conditions. The comparison of archaeological results with pollen-based vegetation proxies also showed regional aspects in human-vegetation interactions. Agro-pastoral communities dwelling in the lowlands mostly influenced the openness of the landscape, used for fields and pastures, whereas contemporary communities with a similar economic mode residing in a different region are more visible in pollen records through species and structural changes in woodlands. The agro-pastoral subsistence strategy did not start everywhere with the onset of the Neolithic: in some regions it failed after several centuries, in others, the foraging lifestyle persisted significantly longer, and farming became a major economic strategy much later. Our study shows that archaeological site-based and 14C-based demographic proxies cannot be utilized for all periods and regions due to several limitations. Only the combination of different quantitative and qualitative archaeological proxies for population does reveal important details.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2022
This paper reports on the progress in the field of total viewshed computation, which was made by ... more This paper reports on the progress in the field of total viewshed computation, which was made by the joint efforts of several Slovak and Czech research institutions. The result of the project is eight total viewsheds calculated for the whole territory of Bohemia (57,000 km2) with a relatively high resolution (grid from 5 × 5 to 320 × 320 m, visibility radii from 0.5 to 64 km). Through the principal component analysis, the viewsheds were further processed and derived datasets were created defining the most important gradients of visual affordances of the Bohemian landscape. On a sample of archaeological sites (barrow cemeteries from a part of South Bohemia), it was examined how the resulting models could be interpreted and whether the identified visibility gradients affected people's behaviour in the past, namely the location of their funerary monuments. On the one hand, this study shows that non-random relationships of this type existed, but on the other hand, visibility itself may not always have been the only (or the main) factor in past behaviour, even if it is related to above-standard places in terms of visibility. All totalviewshed datasets are made available for further research through public repository.
Internet Archaeology 58, 2021
The advent of ubiquitous computing has created a golden age for archaeological researchers and pa... more The advent of ubiquitous computing has created a golden age for archaeological researchers and participating publics, but the price is a digital resource that is now in jeopardy. The archaeological record, in digital form, is at risk not simply from obsolescence and media failure, but the domain is also unable to fully participate in Open Data. Without swift and informed consensus and intervention, archaeology will lose the majority of its research data legacy and capacity to a digital Dark Age. It faces a number of challenges, distinct from those encountered in other domains:
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
Uploads
Books by David Novák
Numerous proofs exist of the huge potential in this resource but one in particular comes to mind. An article in Gene reviewed the contributions made by the investigation of palaeopathology and genetics (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23792062/), using samples from curated specimens in archives and collections. It concluded that ‘extraction and identification of pathogen DNA from archaeological specimens allows a much deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and phylogeny of important human pathogens, as it demonstrates evolution in progress. This information may be key to predicting progressive genetic change in the future, and so have major implications for our ability to control or eradicate these diseases’. As I write, in the time of Covid-19, it is very hard to challenge this as an argument for taking care of our shared legacy.
At the same time, the space for storing archaeological archives and collections is not, and cannot be, infinite. The more we excavate, the greater the pressure on available capacity to store for the long term. As archaeological heritage managers, it is vital that we ensure that how we practice is sustainable in the long term. For practical and financial reasons, we must therefore make the best choices we can about what to keep.
This excellent guidance is the result of many years of hard work in many countries, by many experts in the field. By offering guidance on intelligent selection, it will help to balance these two equally important issues, to make the case for continued support for our shared archaeological legacy, and to ensure that future generations, with future technology and capabilities, can continue to generate real public benefit from our work and that of those who have come before us.
systems in the archaeology of the Czech Republic (CR), especially for foreign
experts. It represents a description and evaluation of a certain phase of development
of these systems that began after the political and social changes in 1989. It
is therefore based on twenty-five years of work characterized mainly, as far as
technical development is concerned, by the particularly rapid expansion of digital
technologies. The book, however, covers not only their technical descriptions,
but rather aims at their application and potential impacts on the archaeological
community.
Edited volumes and translations by David Novák
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
The guidelines result from the work of over fifty PARTHENOS, ARIADNEplus and SEADDA project members. They were responsible for investigating commonalities in the implementation of policies and strategies for research data management and used results from desk research, questionnaires and interviews with selected experts to gather around one hundred current data management policies (including guides for preferred formats, data review policies and best practices, both formal as well as tacit).
Papers by David Novák
A map of Europe showing countries or regions in color that have responded to a survey
Countries or regions with recorded responses to the survey. Administrative boundaries: European Commission – Eurostat/GISCO
The digital transition in archaeology is often taken for granted, yet the process is far from complete. The topic of digital archiving has been addressed by both the EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives and the SEADDA COST Action. These two entities joined forces to produce a special issue of Internet Archaeology, bringing together contributions on digital archiving practices from over two dozen countries. The articles were later analysed by EAC and SEADDA to compare the international situation. The results reveal both shared difficulties associated with the issue of documentary archives worldwide and examples of good practices that help to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was also carried out to complement the findings resulting from the interpretation of the published articles, with supporting data covering the whole European area in a balanced way. The survey allowed for the compilation of an overview of the situation in 27 countries (30 regions) of Europe. All respondents were experts involved in digital archiving and/or heritage data management in individual countries. Based on the collected information, the discrepancy between the value of archaeological data and its position within heritage management practice is already proving to be a major shortcoming.
There are imbalances in the level of attention – and the resulting level of protection – given to archives of (digital) archaeological documentation. If we want to find a way to improve the situation, it is necessary to initiate systemic changes, which should manifest themselves on a number of levels. However, these changes are conditional on a political decision that will give the whole process legitimacy, the necessary resources, a clear framework, and the required tools. It is needed to formulate general principles and co-create an environment, including a legislative one, in which archaeological archiving can be carried out in a sustainable and meaningful way in order to bring the highest possible public benefit. Compared with other initiatives, we consider it essential to primarily follow the systemic changes (top-down approach) rather than strive for change in the individual practice of researchers. It is the only way to achieve the real persistence of irreplaceable archaeological data. This article summarises the results achieved and presents proposed approaches to improve the situation in digital archaeological archiving. It concludes, among other things, by proposing a set of guiding principles for archiving primary archaeological data.
We analysed spatial relations between the present-day species richness of archaeophytes and native flora, the environmental setting, archaeological evidence, and the relationship between the residence time of archaeophytes and their regional range size. We used fine-scaled gridded information on plant diversity and archaeological records for the period 6000 BCE to 1000 CE summarised as average occupancy probability (AOP) in Czechia, Central Europe.
The proportion of archaeophytes in the local flora positively correlated with AOP. Variation partitioning revealed largely overlapping effects of AOP, environmental conditions, and present-day land use on the relative diversity of archaeophytes in local flora. The relationship between the minimum residence time of introduced species and their regional range size was non-significant.
Synthesis. Present-day regional diversity of archaeophytes mirrored the intensity of past human settlements. Our results suggest that the main underlying mechanism is the environmental filtering of non-native species pools, while dispersal limitation plays a minor role in the regional patterns of archaeophyte diversity.
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
Numerous proofs exist of the huge potential in this resource but one in particular comes to mind. An article in Gene reviewed the contributions made by the investigation of palaeopathology and genetics (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23792062/), using samples from curated specimens in archives and collections. It concluded that ‘extraction and identification of pathogen DNA from archaeological specimens allows a much deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and phylogeny of important human pathogens, as it demonstrates evolution in progress. This information may be key to predicting progressive genetic change in the future, and so have major implications for our ability to control or eradicate these diseases’. As I write, in the time of Covid-19, it is very hard to challenge this as an argument for taking care of our shared legacy.
At the same time, the space for storing archaeological archives and collections is not, and cannot be, infinite. The more we excavate, the greater the pressure on available capacity to store for the long term. As archaeological heritage managers, it is vital that we ensure that how we practice is sustainable in the long term. For practical and financial reasons, we must therefore make the best choices we can about what to keep.
This excellent guidance is the result of many years of hard work in many countries, by many experts in the field. By offering guidance on intelligent selection, it will help to balance these two equally important issues, to make the case for continued support for our shared archaeological legacy, and to ensure that future generations, with future technology and capabilities, can continue to generate real public benefit from our work and that of those who have come before us.
systems in the archaeology of the Czech Republic (CR), especially for foreign
experts. It represents a description and evaluation of a certain phase of development
of these systems that began after the political and social changes in 1989. It
is therefore based on twenty-five years of work characterized mainly, as far as
technical development is concerned, by the particularly rapid expansion of digital
technologies. The book, however, covers not only their technical descriptions,
but rather aims at their application and potential impacts on the archaeological
community.
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
The guidelines result from the work of over fifty PARTHENOS, ARIADNEplus and SEADDA project members. They were responsible for investigating commonalities in the implementation of policies and strategies for research data management and used results from desk research, questionnaires and interviews with selected experts to gather around one hundred current data management policies (including guides for preferred formats, data review policies and best practices, both formal as well as tacit).
A map of Europe showing countries or regions in color that have responded to a survey
Countries or regions with recorded responses to the survey. Administrative boundaries: European Commission – Eurostat/GISCO
The digital transition in archaeology is often taken for granted, yet the process is far from complete. The topic of digital archiving has been addressed by both the EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives and the SEADDA COST Action. These two entities joined forces to produce a special issue of Internet Archaeology, bringing together contributions on digital archiving practices from over two dozen countries. The articles were later analysed by EAC and SEADDA to compare the international situation. The results reveal both shared difficulties associated with the issue of documentary archives worldwide and examples of good practices that help to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was also carried out to complement the findings resulting from the interpretation of the published articles, with supporting data covering the whole European area in a balanced way. The survey allowed for the compilation of an overview of the situation in 27 countries (30 regions) of Europe. All respondents were experts involved in digital archiving and/or heritage data management in individual countries. Based on the collected information, the discrepancy between the value of archaeological data and its position within heritage management practice is already proving to be a major shortcoming.
There are imbalances in the level of attention – and the resulting level of protection – given to archives of (digital) archaeological documentation. If we want to find a way to improve the situation, it is necessary to initiate systemic changes, which should manifest themselves on a number of levels. However, these changes are conditional on a political decision that will give the whole process legitimacy, the necessary resources, a clear framework, and the required tools. It is needed to formulate general principles and co-create an environment, including a legislative one, in which archaeological archiving can be carried out in a sustainable and meaningful way in order to bring the highest possible public benefit. Compared with other initiatives, we consider it essential to primarily follow the systemic changes (top-down approach) rather than strive for change in the individual practice of researchers. It is the only way to achieve the real persistence of irreplaceable archaeological data. This article summarises the results achieved and presents proposed approaches to improve the situation in digital archaeological archiving. It concludes, among other things, by proposing a set of guiding principles for archiving primary archaeological data.
We analysed spatial relations between the present-day species richness of archaeophytes and native flora, the environmental setting, archaeological evidence, and the relationship between the residence time of archaeophytes and their regional range size. We used fine-scaled gridded information on plant diversity and archaeological records for the period 6000 BCE to 1000 CE summarised as average occupancy probability (AOP) in Czechia, Central Europe.
The proportion of archaeophytes in the local flora positively correlated with AOP. Variation partitioning revealed largely overlapping effects of AOP, environmental conditions, and present-day land use on the relative diversity of archaeophytes in local flora. The relationship between the minimum residence time of introduced species and their regional range size was non-significant.
Synthesis. Present-day regional diversity of archaeophytes mirrored the intensity of past human settlements. Our results suggest that the main underlying mechanism is the environmental filtering of non-native species pools, while dispersal limitation plays a minor role in the regional patterns of archaeophyte diversity.
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
The text of the thesis follows several frameworks that are essential for the fulfilment of the stated general objectives. In the first phase, the text focuses on the past and current research discourse and presents a more comprehensive overview of the knowledge of the manorial farms. A generous extent of such summary is not caused by its substantial role in comparison to the other topics, but because there is not yet another comprehensive summary of this issue. Next follows a description of the theoretical research framework that works with the current archaeological theory applied to the topic of Medieval and Early Modern elite residences and landscapes. An important part is the definition of "manorial residence" and of the other accompanying terms (residence core, secondary parts, farmyard). "Manorial residences" are introduced as part of a landscape that forms its structural, event-based, and expression-based components. It is therefore possible to determine the intended purpose categories of the of the manorial residences, in relation to their potential functions and usage patterns. It is a driving idea that defines the next steps, processing methods, and approach to the topic. In this way, the thesis abstracts the research procedure and sets clear research objectives as well as methodological approaches, the way of recording, the choice of sample and the descriptive system.
The text provides a basic statistical overview based on the analysis of an extensive sample of the 1332 sites, using the chosen descriptive attributes, and attempts to reflect the pros and cons of the descriptive system. It points to the broad analytical possibilities that have recently became widely available in combination of the computing capability, the GIS application framework, and landscape data. The thesis further develops the ideas presented in the theoretical part, respectively, it complements the specific steps to get from baseline description to functional interpretation. It defines a matrix of relationships between observable residences functional potentials and descriptive attributes. This evaluation of the partial results builds a basis for the synthesis core of the work, which, in the sequence of several chapters, draws attention to various approaches and contexts. Discussed are both the changes in the use of manorial residences and their spatial and temporal distribution, as well as the testimony of historical sources. The main product is an outline of a new classification of elite residences at the intersection of their form and spatial properties with a purpose for which they could serve. The results are compared with the evidence of other, traditionally used methods, but also with the possibilities of the upcoming approaches (i.e. network analysis). The discussion part brings a necessary generalization that evaluates the benefits of the chosen methods, and offers arguments for moving to a different view of castellology and the study of the elites. It also presents an assessment of the development of the manorial residences and their properties in the territory of Bohemia.
Some parts of the work were set aside to four excursions. These are a summary of (1) the issues of archaeological evidence of the smallest medieval seigniorial residences, (2) the approaches to the modelling and conceptualizing of landscape using digital elevation models, (3) the results of an intensive survey of lesser manorial residences in the region of Křivoklátsko, and (4) the results of archaeological excavations at the manorial farm in deserted medieval village of Rovný in the region of Zbiroh. An extensive digital database of the sites, ownership relations and related bibliographies forms a last supplementary part of the thesis.
Interview on the Portal of Amateur Collaborators and Register of Individual Finds of the Archaeological Map of the Czech Republic (AMČR-PAS).
defining the most important gradients of visual affordances of the Bohemian landscape. On a sample of archaeological sites (barrow cemeteries from a part of South Bohemia), it was examined how the resulting models could be interpreted and whether the identified visibility gradients affected people’s behaviour in the past, namely the location of their funerary monuments. On the one hand, this study shows that non-random relationships of this type existed, but on the other hand,
visibility itself may not always have been the only (or the main) factor in past behaviour, even if it is related to above-standard places in terms of visibility. All totalviewshed datasets are made available for further research through public repository.
Many forms of archaeological research (including excavation) destroy the cultural resource, and the recorded observations become the primary record, derived from non-repeatable documentation;
Archaeological data is often born-digital, and there are no paper surrogates for the primary record derived, for example, from the use of mobile devices on site, geophysical surveys or logging of experimental data by analytical laboratory equipment;
Archaeological researchers are particularly creative and innovative in their methodologies; adopting, adapting and developing novel techniques and approaches, and requiring stewardship of a wide range of data formats, and more complex understandings of data reuse, but often lacking the proper workflow and data policy found in other sciences.
By Agnieszka ONISZCZUK, Claire TSANG, Duncan H. BROWN, David NOVÁK and Kaat de LANGHE.
Foreword:
Archaeological archives have too often been considered as afterthoughts – the collections of objects and documents which are left after the intellectual process of excavation, investigation, analysis and interpretation is finished and the book or article written and published. Nothing could be further from the truth. An archive is the lasting legacy of an unrepeatable event and represents – or at least should represent – much of the significance of the site or monument studied. An archive should be seen as a powerful resource to test and re-test theories, to advance knowledge and to create opportunities for access for everyone. Numerous proofs exist of the huge potential in this resource but one in particular comes to mind. An article in Gene reviewed the contributions made by the investigation of palaeopathology and genetics (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23792062/), using samples from curated specimens in archives and collections. It concluded that ‘extraction and identification of pathogen DNA from archaeological specimens allows a much deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and phylogeny of important human pathogens, as it demonstrates evolution in progress. This information may be key to predicting progressive genetic change in the future, and so have major implications for our ability to control or eradicate these diseases’. As I write, in the time of Covid-19, it is very hard to challenge this as an argument for taking care of our shared legacy.At the same time, the space for storing archaeological archives and collections is not, and cannot be, infinite. The more we excavate, the greater the pressure on available capacity to store for the long term. As archaeological heritage managers, it is vital that we ensure that how we practice is sustainable in the long term. For practical and financial reasons, we must therefore make the best choices we can about what to keep.This excellent guidance is the result of many years of hard work in many countries, by many experts in the field. By offering guidance on intelligent selection, it will help to balance these two equally important issues, to make the case for continued support for our shared archaeological legacy, and to ensure that future generations, with future technology and capabilities, can continue to generate real public benefit from our work and that of those who have come before us.
• Workflows & Tools: from data collection in the field to FAIR data
• Best Practices: data formats and standards you use
• AI / Machine learning for data processing and/or quality management
• Working with silos: transformation and publication of data
• Reuse Open Data: from BigData to ML/AI Application
• Project specific excavation manuals and data models