Dear All,

Another organization with similar aims is the Electronic Cultural Atlas
Initiative (www.ecai.org).  ECAI is a global consortium of historians,
archaeologists, cultural heritage managers and others interested in
interoperability and GIS visualization.  We are working with the TimeMap
Project (www.timemap.net) to create a global clearinghouse of cultural and
historical spatial data linked to a time-enabled GIS browser.  The
clearinghouse is based on Dublin Core, with two kinds of
extensions.  Administrative extensions (ecai.) describe the relationship of
the dataset to the ECAI institutional structure, and are helping us, among
other things, to manage a review system for submitted data. Functional
(tm.) extensions make it possible to map spatial objects from registered
databases on the time-enabled GIS browser, rather than simply providing a
bibliographical index.  The goal is to provide a mechanism for scholars and
cultural heritage managers to freely disseminate cultural spatial data in
an interoperable environment.

In addition to creating and populating the clearinghouse, ECAI seeks to
assist collaborators in understanding the value of spatial data for
cultural heritage and the humanities and to create and register data.  We
hold conferences and training workshops, and are engaged in an initiative
to create stable electronic publications based on historical and cultural
spatial resources.

We are very interested in collaborating with HEIRPORT or any other
institutions with related objectives.

If anybody is interested in more information about ECAI, or in submitting
data to the clearinghouse, please contact me.

Ruth Mostern
Head of Collections Development
Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative
www.ecai.org



At 12:43 PM 11/2/01 +0000, kmf2 wrote:
>Dear Niall,
>
>The HEIRNET consortium has already begun to think about what might be
>involved in creating a virtual historic environment information network.
>The HEIRNET report looked at the potential contributors to such a
>network (the NMRs, SMRs, ADS, Nationally funded projects, special
>interest societies, local societies) from across the UK. Developments in
>IT mean that it is feasible to bring together all of their various
>databases, catalogues and indexes to create a historic environment
>information landscape reaching into Europe and beyond.
>
>We know that the technology works. The ADS has been working with members
>of the HEIRNET consortium  on two projects recently. The first, the
>HEIRNET register is creating a metadata catalogue that will provide an
>index to the content, status and accessibility of the HEIRs that make up
>the landscape. The second, is the development of HEIRPORT a z39.50
>web-portal. The ADS catalogue, the NMR for Scotland and the Portable
>Antiquities database are already being joined up in HEIRPORT by virtue
>of their compliance with MIDAS and using Dublin Core metadata and the
>z39.50 communications protocol.
>
>Technology can make it work but people make it happen! It is important
>to realise that HEIRPORT allows for distributed databases to be searched
>simultaneously. This allows organisations to develop their own databases
>to support their operational functions - development control,
>conservation, management, research - while enabling others to access and
>use their resources.
>
>People increasingly do have access to the Internet and we know that they
>are making use of existing resources. The ADS catalogue has in excess of
>1,000,000 hits each year. The CBA information pages, geared to a general
>interest audience, has far in excess of this number of hits. We can
>confidently say that historic environment information resources made
>available on the Internet will be used and that use will be increased by
>participating in a joined-up service like HEIRPORT.
>
>Joining HEIRPORT does not imply giving up management of your own
>database but will improve your access to the live content of databases
>managed by others. As more organisations join HEIRPORT, instead of
>waiting for data exchange, you will be able to search your own database
>alongside others and view the latest information on your desk-top. By
>sharing information, each organisation should be able to make the most
>of its limited resources for the task in hand.
>
>I would like to invite any SMR who was thinking about mounting a
>database on the Internet to contact me to talk about joining up with
>HEIRPORT. It can accomodate 100 SMRs and more...
>
>with best wishes,
>
>Kate Fernie
>
>
>Niall Hammond wrote:
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > Following the rising tide of comments  seen over the last few weeks on
> the FISH
> > gis conference and more recently on SMR Forum regarding the disparity in
> > heritage  information that front-line local government archaeology
> services both
> > need and can provide compared with English Heritage, is the time ripe
> to ask a
> > very fundamental question?  Why in such a poorly resourced sector do we
> have a
> > network of SMRs, an NMR, ADS and  separate listing/scheduling mapping
> sections?
> > Many of which seem to be re-inventing the wheel in various electronic
> > guises...some more round in shape than others.
> >
> > Surely with improvements in IT technology we could use existing
> resources much
> > more effectively if we adopted something allong the lines of the
> following model
> > which would still allow flexibility and a degree of local idosynchranicity
> >
> >    EH      provide a national archive(NMR aerial photos, hard copy
> material  and
> >    ADS digital catalogue) and a national framework/standard for SMR
> structure
> >    and content. The NMR as an electronic database in its current form
> is phased
> >    out.
> >
> >    ADS/EH/ALGAO      develop a national virtual heritage record. This
> would hold
> >    no data itself but merley be a front end search engine which allows
> anyone to
> >    remotely question and search all English(ultimately British?) SMRs
> through
> >    the adoption of the national standard utilising Dublin Core and Z39.50
> >    standards(something which the progressive HLF funding programmes should
> >    achieve anyway). A good search engine design should allow specific
> topics,
> >    themes ,geographical areas etc. to be seperately available to the users
> >    hearts content.
> >
> >    SMRs    gain additional resources and staff to adopt the national
> standard,
> >    provide detailed GIS mapping at a useful scale, improve content and
> deliver
> >    informed heritage information to a local audience meeting local specific
> >    demands whilst still contributing their data to the national picture
> with new
> >    data effectively going on-line within hours/days of being added to an
> >    individual SMR.
> >
> > Now obviously this will upset  lot of people, tread on vested interest and
> > demolish institutions we have come to know and love(?!), The end
> product will
> > however be a true national system but one informed by and meeting
> specific local
> > demand and needs. I might even guess it would be cheaper than the
> current muddle
> > and definitely be best value. Shouldn't we be brave enough to embark on
> this ?
> >
> > DCMS are currently inviting comments on EH as part of the quinquennial
> review
> > process of government agencies,(look on the DCMS site at
> www.culture.gov.uk for
> > the papers and details or email [log in to unmask]). Surely
> then there
> > is an opportunity to raise this issue begging a response?
> >
> > The IT technology exists for such a system including on-line GIS
> functionality
> > as we are adopting it for the next phase of the Durham on-line SMR, our HLF
> > funded Keys to the Past project with Northumberland CC, so any or most
> problems
> > of  different IT at different local authorties should be able to be
> overcome on
> > a timescale which EH and their digital capture of SM information for
> one  don't
> > seem able to meet.
> >
> > Thoughts on several postcards gratefully received.
> >
> > Niall
> >
> > Niall Hammond
> > County Archaeology Officer
> > ALM Department
> > Durham County Council
> > County Hall
> > Durham
> > DH1 5TY
> >
> > Tel 0191 383 4212
> >
> > _____________________________________________________________________
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>
>--
>Kate Fernie
>Research Officer
>Archaeology Data Service
>
>Dept of Archaeology     t 0044 (0)1904 433973
>University of York      f 0044 (0)1904 433939
>England YO1 7EP, UK
>http://ads.ahds.ac.uk   e [log in to unmask]