FIT FOR PURPOSE? ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Archaeology continues to generate large amounts of data, in a growing range of formats and media. Old datasets have been or are being digitised, and there is increasing emphasis on the re-use of old datasets, and on preparing new datasets with re-use in mind. That being so, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the prevention and detection of errors in archaeological data, and in acquiring or developing robust methods of analysis. The sorts of errors that can be encountered in different types of data are approached and discussed through a series of case studies, dealing with counting errors, measurement errors, and classicatory errors. They are linked to another obstacle to the re-use of data: the lack of standardised terminology between different originators. Strategies for mitigating these problems (which cannot be totally overcome) are discussed.