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York Archaeological Trust hopes to win award

The Hollywood Oscars are still a few months away but the York Archaeological Trust is waiting with bated breath to hear whether it has won the archaeology equivalent. They are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the prestigious British Archaeological Awards for which they have been shortlisted under the “Best Archaeological Innovation” category.

The Trust will go head to head with The Manchester Museum and The Portable Antiques Scheme at an awards ceremony on 19th July at the British Museum. The York-based charity has been shortlisted for its Integrated Archaeological Database system (IADB), developed by its Head of Computing, Mike Rains. The web-based system allows archaeologists to create and use a complete excavation database, an invaluable tool for further research. IADB is already used by an increasing number of archaeological units and major UK-based research projects, currently including ones in Albania, Iran, Jordan and Romania.

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The IADB is a groundbreaking resource that streamlines the processing and analysis of modern excavation records for everything from layers of soil to objects discovered and even environmental samples. It makes understanding the data both easier and more comprehensive, so that all stages of the archaeological process, from initial excavation recording, through post-excavation analysis and research to eventual dissemination and archiving, are more manageable and more efficient. At the Trust, over 1,000 projects, ranging from small watching briefs to major excavations are now held within the IADB, and a number of web publications of recent projects have been created using the system.

The Awards showcase the best in British archaeology and aim to advance the public’s education in the understanding of archaeology and its practices. This year’s ceremony will recognise the very best projects, books, media representation, innovation and discovery British archaeology has to offer.

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Dr Richard Hall, Director of Archaeology at York Archaeological Trust, said “This is an extremely coveted award and we are honoured to have been shortlisted for our innovation in archaeological practices. To win the category would be a hugely deserved accolade to the team which has made a colossal leap forward in the way excavations are recorded and shared.”

For more information on the British Archaeology Awards visit www.britarch.ac.uk/awards or for information on York Archaeological Trust visit www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk.

See also our previous news article: Staffordshire Hoard nominated Best Archaeological Discovery in Great Britain

Source: Jorvik Viking Centre

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