Published
archaeology
vr.tr.archaeology · thing-q23498
Let an agent handle archaeology by site, period, method, finds, law and ethics, including reporting finds and respecting heritage protection.
Thing Registry Information and virtual systems INF.KNW
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Site Which site.
Identity
Site record.
Identity
Site identity.
- Which site is meant, and how is it recorded? provenance
- Which period does it belong to? provenance
Protection
Designation.
Protection
Legal protection.
- Is the site legally protected? provenance
- What activities are forbidden there? boundary
Methods How archaeology works.
Excavation
Digging.
Excavation
Excavation.
- How was the site excavated and recorded? provenance
- Where is the report published? provenance
Dating
Science.
Dating
Dating methods.
- How were the finds dated? measurement
- What is the uncertainty? measurement
Finds Objects.
Reporting
Chance finds.
Reporting
Reporting finds.
- What should someone do after finding a possible antiquity? action
- Which authority must be told? provenance
Trade
Illicit trafficking.
Trade
Trade in antiquities.
- Does this object have documented legal provenance? boundary
- Which rules govern its export? provenance
Ethics Communities.
Human remains
Respect.
Remains
Human remains.
- How are human remains handled and by whose consent? provenance
- Are repatriation claims involved? boundary
Participation
Volunteering.
Participation
Taking part.
- How can the public volunteer on excavations? action
- What training is needed? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.KNW
- Other names and narrower kinds
- banded armor, plate armor, Aegean glyptic, mining history, rescue archaeology, traceology, experimental archaeology, illyrology, textile archaeology, heritage science, Systems theory in archaeology, oriental archaeology
What it is Filled
The scientific study of human activity in the past through the recovery and analysis of material remains such as artefacts, structures, landscapes and biological remains, using excavation, survey and laboratory methods.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle archaeology by site, period, method, finds, law and ethics, including reporting finds and respecting heritage protection.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Studies material remains
- Uses excavation and science
- Governed by heritage law
- Ethics toward descendant communities
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Help locate, dig up, buy or sell artefacts outside the law.
- Publish the precise location of an unprotected site that looters could reach.
- Treat human remains or grave goods as mere objects, or display them without regard for descendants.
- Present an interpretation of a site as proven when the evidence is contested.
- Help launder an artefact by inventing or obscuring its provenance.
Only with a human decision
- Any excavation, sampling or removal of material from a site.
- Decisions about the handling or repatriation of human remains and sacred objects.
May
- Report archaeological findings and site information from published, sourced research.
- Help people report a chance find to the competent heritage authority.
- Explain the law on excavation permits and the export of artefacts in general terms.
Moral aspects Filled
- Looting destroys the context that gives finds their meaning, and it funds crime.
- Descendant communities have claims on ancestral remains and sacred objects.
Who is affected
- Descendant and indigenous communities
- The public as heirs to the record
- Researchers and site custodians
Owners Filled
Steward
The state heritage authority of the country where the site lies; museums hold curated finds.
Master systems
- National heritage and monument registers
- Museum accession records
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q1066186 - registry parent class
related
- study of history - category
- artefact and archaeological site - objects
- radiocarbon dating - method
- heritage protection law - law
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.archaeology
- Wikidata: Q23498 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23498)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Stratigraphy and trenches
- Finds labels and context numbers
- Metal detecting is regulated separately
- Excavation trenches, survey grids, finds trays and museum displays.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- find information about sites and periods
- report chance finds correctly
- understand heritage protection law
- find ways to volunteer or study
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Looting and illicit trade
- Unreported finds losing context
- Disrespect to human remains and descendant communities
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Valletta Convention on archaeological heritage
- National antiquities and treasure laws
- UNESCO 1970 Convention on illicit trafficking
Context of use required Filled
- Understanding the human past.
- prehistoric archaeology
- classical archaeology
- rescue or commercial archaeology
- maritime archaeology
- archaeological science
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q23498: archaeology - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Archaeology - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should archaeological periods be separate entries?
- How should site records be linked?
- How should find-reporting rules be localised?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q23498/spec.json