Databases in Archaeology

The storage of archaeological data in, and their retrieval from, relational databases are by now essential components of archaeological research. Given the growing accessibility of statistical techniques and the ease with which they can be applied, databases have greatly increased the possibility for the archaeologists to implement complex quantitative analysis when they examine their datasets. Relational databases mirror how archaeological data are structured and permit better analysis, better publication, and better archiving. Thesauri and the management of the chronology, for instance, are aspects that allow better handling of the archaeological documentation. New and exciting tools such as mobile devices have great potential for entering coded data in large datasets and for datafying the archaeological workflow. In fact, datafication (i.e., the act of transforming objects and processes by giving them a quantified format) promises to go beyond digitization and to have an even more profound impact on archaeology.