Beyond Data Recovery: Developing Digital Information Systems for Cultural Resources in the Online Era

Lance K Wollwage,Allyson Brooks,Annie Strader,Kim Gant,Rob Smith,Morgan Mclemore

doi:10.1017/aap.2020.13

Lance K Wollwage, Allyson Brooks + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2020.13

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Abstract

ABSTRACTFor historic property types such as archaeological sites and historic buildings, data recovery is often the main part of mitigation plans offered by federal agencies with undertakings that will destroy part or all of a cultural resource. In theory, by extracting important information before destruction, we recover some part of a historic resource's cultural value. In some situations, however, data recovery is impossible or otherwise undesirable, and “creative” or off-site mitigation measures are necessary to mitigate adverse effects. In such circumstances, the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has accepted funding from federal agencies to create, implement, and enhance an online digital information system for cultural resources. This article describes the Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD) and provides an example of a federal agency funding WISAARD development as creative mitigation for the transfer of archaeological sites out of federal ownership. We discuss the benefits of such systems and address how their development meets preservation goals established by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Highlights

For historic property types such as archaeological sites and historic buildings, data recovery is often the main part of mitigation plans offered by federal agencies with undertakings that will destroy part or all of a cultural resource
We finish by considering a recent undertaking in Washington State, in which the Department of Energy provided funding for the WISAARD as creative mitigation for a transfer of property out of federal ownership, and we show how this action meets the criteria for appropriate mitigation described by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
Because of their far-reaching benefits for research and management of cultural resources, we argue that creating, implementing, and enhancing digital information systems should be considered as a mitigation measure in addition to—or as an alternative for—traditional document-and-destroy approaches when off-site or when creative mitigation is needed to resolve adverse effects on federal Section 106 undertakings

Summary

Introduction

For historic property types such as archaeological sites and historic buildings, data recovery is often the main part of mitigation plans offered by federal agencies with undertakings that will destroy part or all of a cultural resource. Because of their far-reaching benefits for research (in general) and management of cultural resources (in particular), we argue that creating, implementing, and enhancing digital information systems should be considered as a mitigation measure in addition to—or as an alternative for—traditional document-and-destroy approaches when off-site or when creative mitigation is needed to resolve adverse effects on federal Section 106 undertakings.

Results

Conclusion