So you’re intrigued by the excavation at Oldbury Camp? Want to see exactly what we found? The good news is that our diggers upload everything for you to see online, as soon as it comes out of the ground.
Historically, archaeologists have recorded their finds on paper. This means the data can be difficult to access, and the results often take many years to publish. DigVentures is pioneering a new way of doing things that means all of our data is open-source, available to everyone, and published live, online, in real time.
Every discovery made by the people who dig with us at Oldbury Camp is recorded on iPads, and is immediately available online. All the records are open for exploration, and you can also stay up to date in real time right here, or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
So, whether you want to use the evidence for your own research, or just check whether you agree or disagree with the archaeologists’ conclusions in the site report, or witness the excavation for entertainment’s sake, our extremely brief and incredibly useful guide will help you get started.
Catch up with the dig
To see how the action unfolded, you can replay the dig and watch it all as it happened. You can do this live by following DigVentures on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or binge-watch the whole thing in one go – all the videos, diaries and big discoveries are filed in the Timeline (top right).
Delve into the data
Ok, so you’ve had fun watching the dig, but now you want to see the detail. Go to Open Data (top right).
Finds
The first thing you’ll see are the finds. From coins and jewelry to combs and cooking pots, you can click on any object to find out more and even see a 3D model.
Features and Trenches
Of course, archaeology isn’t just about artefacts – it’s about features too. That means ditches, post holes, rubbish pits. Oh, and there are plans, sections and soil samples too! Use the row of buttons to look through the different types of records we keep. To see where everything was found, the trench icon collects all these different strands together, allowing you to explore the data through a 3D model of the trench itself.
Who found it?
Each record shows who found it and put it online. Just click their name to see who they are and what else they found.
Download the data
All this data is open access. That means you can use it to do your own research. To download any of the data, go to ‘advanced search’, filter the data you want and click the CSV download button.
Leave a comment
Sorry! At this stage, this is for Digital Dig Team members only – you will need a login to access this feature. If you want to join Digital Dig Team, head over to our crowdfunding page to see what else is coming up. In the meantime, if you’ve got a question about anything, you can just email hello@digventures.com
Get me out of here!
Found yourself deep inside the data and want to get out? The Digital Dig Team logo will always take you home. Don’t forget, you can also find more stuff from DigVentures at digventures.com
