Digital dataset of TD excavation record


We completed the digitisation of all field drawings and created file-level metadata for all of them. For the field protocols and inventory books that had been scanned previous to 4DP in Cairo, we created file-level metadata and converted the binaries according to ARCHE requirements. The analogue photo negatives from the years 1966 to 2001 were scanned and enhanced with file-level metadata. A major part of the original convolute cards from the areas A/II and R/I were digitised and supplied with metadata. Additionally, for the sake of completeness of our case study area F/I square j21, a large number of find sheets from this area were digitised in Cairo and we created metadata for them.

Resource Description est. numbers (@OREA) Scans/digital objects 4DP scans + metadata
Slides (mainly colour, a few b&w) analogue Framed slides, 24x36 mm, 6x6 cm 4.500 4.630 4.630
Photo negatives (b&w and colour) analogue Filmstrips, 24x36 mm, 6x6 cm 62.000 48.403 18.710
Find sheets analogue A6 paper 1 folder/td> 20 folders (with scans from folders in Cairo) 20
Scans of protocols, wall-lists, locus-lists analogue A4 paper 1 folder 3.490 (with scans from folders in Cairo) 3.490
Field drawings analogue A3 graph & tracing paper 3.700 3.700 3.700
Convolute cards (ceramic drawings) analogue A5 cardboard 1.000 495 495
Scans of inventory of wall paintings analogue A4 paper, b&w - 3 pdf files (131 pages) -
Scans of ceramics- & find-inventory analogue A4 paper (books and sheets) - 13.924 13.924
Find drawings analogu A4, paper and tracing paper 23.200 11.700 -
Diaries analogue A5 and A6 notebooks 15 notebooks - -

Table 1: Overview of analogue resources and the quantity of digitised material from OREA archive.


Born-digital resources

Technical conversion was developed in collaboration with ARCHE. The whole process of preparing the resources was documented (https://4dpuzzle.orea.oeaw.ac.at/downloads).

Resource type Description/file formats Quantity Conversion and metadata To do
3D-models Reconstructions of tombs and a cellar, Walkthrough, Phase-model, Wooden reconstruction / .skp, . unityweb 6 models complete -
AutoCAD Maps of TD and surrounding area / aps/ .dwg 86 files complete -
Databases Protocols, locus- and wall-numbers, inventory, images, wall paintings, seals, literature / .mdb, .fp5, .fp7, .fp12 24 DB complete -
Geophysics Magnetometer surveys from different campaigns, TD and surrounding area / .srf, .tif, .pdf, .eps 167 file complete -
GIS Prospection and measurement / .geojson, .jpg, .adf, .tif, .cpg, .dbf, .prf, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, .shx 21 files complete -
Photos Digital born photos / .nef, .jpeg, .tiff, .pds, .raw 62.000 complete (processed as collections) Arche Metadaten
Spreadsheets Locus- and wall- numbers, inventory, wall paintings, stones, bones, botanical remains, C14, employees, billing / .xls, .xlsx, .mdb 222 files complete -
Videos Mobile Objects, Excavation / .avi, .mov, .mp4, .mpg 56 files complete -

Table 2: Overview of born-digital resources prepared for long-term preservation.