From: [log in to unmask]
Press Release
8th October 2003
Keys to the Past (www.keystothepast.info) website launch:
Unlocking the archaeological secrets of northumberland and durham
An exciting new vision for providing access to heritage data in
Northumberland and Durham has just been developed. The Keys to the Past (
www.keystothepast.info) website will be officially launched by
Northumberland and Durham County Councils on Wednesday 8th October 2003.
Generously grant aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Keys to the Past sets
a new benchmark for the presentation of heritage data on the web, providing
exciting and colourful access to the record of the two counties'
archaeological and cultural heritage remains.
Over 24000 records from the two County Sites and Monuments Records have
been re-written and made accessible through the Keys to the Past website,
providing a complete record of the archaeology of the area from the
smallest prehistoric flint to the largest medieval castle. The site can be
searched for information by time period, type or location. The use of
Geographical Information Systems allows the results to be displayed on
colour maps. Keys to the Past supports this information with photographs,
historic maps, a large glossary of archaeological and heritage terms,
simple parish histories and general background information for the two
counties.
Northumberland County Archaeologist, Sara Rushton, said "€śKeys to thPast
is intended to make our past accessible to everyone. We hope that anyone
with an interest in their past, from school children through to research
academics, will find it informative, easy and fun to use"€ť.
Easy to use and a pleasure to look at, the Keys to the Past website should,
for now and the future, be the first port of call for information relating
to the cultural heritage and archaeology of Durham and Northumberland.
Note to Editors
Representatives of the press are invited to the official launch of the
website (www.keystothepast.info) to be held in Northumberland County Hall
Committee Room 3 at 11am on Wednesday 8th October, after which there will
be an opportunity to talk to the people who compiled the site and try your
own search of the extensive Keys to the Past database. A light buffet will
be provided.
For further details contact David Petts (Keys to the Past Project Officer)
on 0191 383 4225 or [log in to unmask]
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