Reconstructed earthenware, Futtsuke site, Japan
NARA site report: Futtsuke Site: 19880623-19881115
ADS recently hosted a delegation from Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (NARA) who are the publisher of over 140,000 archaeological fieldwork reports from across Japan in the Portal. These reports can be downloaded as PDFs, one layout suitable for standard computer screens and one a reduced file size for mobile devices. The reports are a rich resource for Japanese archaeology, covering the time period from around -35,000 BCE to the 20th century. They and contain information on buildings, ceramics and household items, burials and past industries and many more monuments and artefacts which provide a comprehensive overview of Japan’s past.
NARA first became involved with ARIADNE in 2019 in the ARIADNEplus project as the organisation looked to opening up their data not just to the Japanese public but internationally following their initial visit to ADS in 2017. NARA has also translated the ADS Guides to Good Practice (G2GP) which ARIADNE has contributed to (and have also been translated into Swedish by SND, the Swedish National Data Service). The Guides are used to establish clear data standards for contractors in Japan, helping them meet the growing demand for accessible archaeological data. During current visit, team members from NARA and ADS were able to discuss the latest developments in archaeology such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and most importantly for the ARIADNE Portal, developing an API to enable the automatic uploading and updating of NARA’s metadata in the Catalogue. Read more about the NARA visit on the ADS website.