After 27 years of service, ArchSearch is preparing to retire. Since launching in 1998 and undergoing three major revisions, our search interface has served researchers worldwide, but now it’s time for an upgrade.
This September, the ADS is launching the ADS Data Catalogue – a powerful new search experience tailored specifically for our community. Built on established technology behind the ARIADNE portal, this represents a fundamental transformation in how you discover and access archaeological information through a single, intuitive interface.
The new system revolutionizes how you search and visualize results. Multi-parameter searching lets you combine What (keywords and data types), Where (geographic location), and When (time periods) for precise discovery. Results can be displayed as individual listings, aggregated on interactive maps, or plotted on timeline views – transforming how researchers explore archaeological data from the UK.
The new catalogue represents the largest consolidation of heritage data for the UK and Isle of Man ever attempted, providing access to hundreds of thousands of archaeological resources. Users will gain unprecedented access to almost 5,000 ADS Archives and more than 100,000 reports from the ADS Library through a single search portal.
For the first time, researchers can simultaneously search collections from Historic Environment Scotland, Department of Communities Northern Ireland, Manx National Heritage, the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Historic England, and the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments Wales. The catalogue also incorporates records from essential national reference collections, including Defence of Britain and Parks and Gardens Data Service.
September 2025 marks not just the end of ArchSearch, but the beginning of a new chapter in archaeological data discovery. Watch this space for more detailed information about the catalogue in the coming weeks.
