Practical Online Storage of Archaeological Remains Using Airtable
Disciplines
Anthropology | Archaeological Anthropology | Biological and Physical Anthropology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Databases are foundational components of modern information systems, serving as organized archives for data storage, retrieval, and management. They play a vital role in various sectors, including business, healthcare, education, and government, enabling efficient data handling and informed decision-making. Using the user-friendly database Airtable, this project explores how archaeological data can be stored effectively in contrast to the more complex, more widely used, and less intuitive Osteoware. Osteoware is a software tool specifically designed for the analysis and documentation of archaeological human skeletal remains. It is used primarily by bioarchaeologists, anthropologists, and archaeologists who study ancient human populations and their skeletal remains. Osteoware helps researchers catalog, analyze, and interpret various aspects of human skeletons, including age, sex, and various pathological conditions. Airtable is a contemporary cloud-based collaboration platform that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the complexity of a relational database. It allows users to create, organize, and share structured data and information in a highly customizable and user-friendly interface. Airtable is widely used across a variety of industries and disciplines for the management of projects, data, collaboration, and in this case, for the documentation of archaeological remains. Using images and written descriptions, we will compare Airtable's usability for storing archaeological data with that of its less intuitive counterparts. By bringing a highly customizable system to the forefront of data collection, this project aims to make this database accessible and known to professionals from all fields.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Geography & Anthropology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Susan Smith
Practical Online Storage of Archaeological Remains Using Airtable
Databases are foundational components of modern information systems, serving as organized archives for data storage, retrieval, and management. They play a vital role in various sectors, including business, healthcare, education, and government, enabling efficient data handling and informed decision-making. Using the user-friendly database Airtable, this project explores how archaeological data can be stored effectively in contrast to the more complex, more widely used, and less intuitive Osteoware. Osteoware is a software tool specifically designed for the analysis and documentation of archaeological human skeletal remains. It is used primarily by bioarchaeologists, anthropologists, and archaeologists who study ancient human populations and their skeletal remains. Osteoware helps researchers catalog, analyze, and interpret various aspects of human skeletons, including age, sex, and various pathological conditions. Airtable is a contemporary cloud-based collaboration platform that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the complexity of a relational database. It allows users to create, organize, and share structured data and information in a highly customizable and user-friendly interface. Airtable is widely used across a variety of industries and disciplines for the management of projects, data, collaboration, and in this case, for the documentation of archaeological remains. Using images and written descriptions, we will compare Airtable's usability for storing archaeological data with that of its less intuitive counterparts. By bringing a highly customizable system to the forefront of data collection, this project aims to make this database accessible and known to professionals from all fields.