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The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is a newly established arm of the Arts and Humanities Data Service in the United Kingdom. The ADS is managed by a consortium of institutions led by the University of York. The ADS is based in the Archaeology Department of the University of York; Dr. Julian Richards is the Director, and Alicia Wise is the Data Coordinator.
The aim of the ADS is to provide the range of services required to make archaeological material available to scholars and other potential users. Those services include not only the holding of data but also creating catalogs and providing user support. The holdings will not be centralized; that is not necessary, given the capabilities of the Internet today.
The ADS will also assist with promoting standards and guidelines for those who will create archaeological data sets.
As a part of the larger Art and Humanities Data Service, the ADS catalog will lead not only to archaeological materials but to the broader holdings of the Art and Humanities Data Service as well.
A wide variety of data types will be included, and the holdings will include both data from field work and data from "desk-based studies." (Oddly, there is no explicit mention of CAD models, only "reconstruction drawings.")
More information may be obtained from the recently opened Web Site (http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/ahds/welcome.html). There is also a discussion list for matters of interest to the ADS; instructions for subscribing are available through the Web site.
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Table of Contents for the Nov, 1996 issue of the CSA Newsletter (Vol. 9, no. 3)
Table of Contents for all CSA Newsletter issues on the Web