Laying the foundation for a digital archaeology in Argentina: The role of e-research infrastructures

Abstract

In Argentina, public policies related to scientific and technological development foster an open science model that is based on the potential offered by digital media. Archaeological practice, mainly supported by public funding, has accordingly turned towards a digitally-mediated practice by. For this model of science, accessibility to primary data and to e-research infrastructures is a priority. To this end, the Suquía Institutional Digital Repository (IDACOR, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-CONICET), focused on the archiving of archaeological data, was implemented. This e-research infrastructure includes various types of information that share a common characteristic: Low accessibility, both physical and virtual, in its original format. Databases, reports, images of excavations, archaeological objects and collections are just a few of the file types that can be found in the repository. This new infrastructure is proposed as a game-changer in how archaeological practice is thought of and carried out, since it allows the use and reuse of data generated by public funding for archaeological research, heritage management, and scientific knowledge dissemination.