Joining the dots: Exploring technical and social issues in e-Science approaches to linking landscape and artefactual data in British archaeology

Abstract

This paper presents the preliminary results of a scoping study for a proposed 'English Identities' project. The project represents a collaboration between the School of Archaeology, Oxford University and the Oxford e-Research Centre, funded by an e-Research South Platform Grant. The 'English Identities' project hopes to investigate long-term patterns in the formation of English identities from the Bronze Age to the Saxon period through a linked study of already existing landscape and artefactual databases. The scoping study results highlight not only the technical issues that are needed for a complex project of this kind, but also the need to consider the 'behind-the-scenes' fostering of a collaborative spirit and joining of effort at both inter- and intra-disciplinary levels to ensure the future success of such ventures.