E-Conference delegates may be interested to hear news from the recent OASIS
project meeting hosted by the Archaeology Data Service at King's Manor in
York last Thursday (10th Feb). What follows are my comments - information on
the project is available from the ADS, and many other members of this
e-conference were present, and I would like to here their reactions to a
very interesting (and well organised) presentation and discussion.
In outline the OASIS project aims to bring together existing sources of
information on archaeological investigations in England, plus hopefully
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (all areas were represented at the
meeting). To supplement this information, and maintain currency the project
also proposes an online form for the submission of information on new
investigations by the investigators themselves.
>From FISHENs point of view the particular relevance of the project was that
it was accepted as a starting point that shared terminology was crucial to
retrieval of information and for analysis of the results. In particular the
following are needed:-
Period terminology
Monument Type terminology
Event Type terminology
Placename terminology (Administrative Area)
I would hope that the OASIS initiative will prove to be the spur to bring
together the various heritage organistaions to develop shared standards in
this area. In effect can we take this development as the start of a move
from FISHEN (the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage *England*) to
FISHUK? Any thoughts?
Edmund Lee
FISHEN Coordinator
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