ADS Update
ADS
This section covers just a few of the new resources made available via the ADS since the last issue of the newsletter. A quick visit to the Collection History page of our website will provide the complete list. It is also possible to be kept up to date on new releases via the ADS RSS feed available from our home page.
One of the most intriguing archives ever released by the ADS is the J. J. Wymer Archive. This comprises a fascinating collection of notes and images from one of the giants of British Palaeolithic archaeology. The Wymer Archive Project arose out of a perceived threat to Dr John Wymer's personal archive following his death early in 2006. Considered to be a unique record of British Palaeolithic archaeology and including his Field Note Books (1949-2004), it is also a tremendous source of images of archaeology and archaeologists at work from the middle of the last century. (See also the Collection Highlights) http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?wymer_eh_2008.
The last few months has also seen the release of two fantastic resources from Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). The first to be released was The eastern cemetery of Roman London: excavations 1983-1990. It covers archaeological excavations conducted between 1983 and 1990 at different sites within an area covering about 12ha in the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets, to the east of the City of London, which produced evidence for a large Roman cemetery. During these excavations 136 cremation burials and 550 inhumation burials were recorded. This archive contains the extensive and detailed reports from this important site. http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/archive/romcem_eh_2009/
The second archive resource from MOLA is The Cluniac priory and abbey of St Saviour Bermondsey, Surrey: excavations 1984-95. This is centred on the site of the Cluniac priory and later abbey of St Saviour Bermondsey. The site, formerly in Surrey and now part of the London Borough of Southwark, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Like the eastern cemetery project above, important parts of the digital archive are being made available through ADS as part of the English Heritage Rescue of Complete Archaeological Projects (RECAP) to ensure continued access for researchers. http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/archive/stsaviour_eh_2009/
The Beaker round barrow at West Cotton, Raunds.
Photo: Northamptonshire Archaeology.
Also of note is the Nene Valley: Archaeological and Environmental Synthesis, Northamptonshire Archaeology and Exeter University. The Nene Valley has been subjected to extensive mineral extraction over the years. This resulted in many large and small excavations that have produced large bodies of environmental data. When combined with the complete mapping of the crop mark data this makes the archaeological data for the Nene Valley unusually extensive. This project was designed to present the evidence of the character of the relationship between the environmental and archaeological record and variations in the watertable for the Nene Valley from its source in Northamptonshire to Peterborough. http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/archive/nenevalley_eh_2009/
Work has continued on the HEIRNET registry, first mentioned in ADS News Issue 20. Whilst the register itself has continued to act as a valuable resource for recording information on all manner of historic environment information resources, the need for a more sophisticated register for web services was acknowledged as far back as 2007. A register capable of holding technical information on web services (in addition to web sites, RSS feeds or Z39.50 services etc.) was identified as a desirable outcome from the HEIRNET 'Data Sans Frontières' conference held at the British Museum. This register will act as a central point of discovery, and specification, for all historic environment web services that seek a wider audience, whether simply by user access or by 'mashing-up' or aggregating with other appropriate services.
The good news is that the new registry will be demonstrated to the next HEIRNET meeting scheduled for July and (subject to approval) will be released and promoted to the wider community shortly thereafter.
HEIRNET: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/heirnet/index.cfm
