We are excited to announce the launch of the ADS Data Catalogue – a powerful new search experience designed to transform how you discover and access archaeological data!
Launching today, this interface is built on the established technology behind the ARIADNE portal. Bringing this data together for the first time represents the largest consolidation of heritage data ever created for the UK and Isle of Man. It provides open access to hundreds of thousands of archaeological resources, including almost 5,000 ADS Archives and more than 100,000 reports from the ADS Library – all accessible through a single unified search experience.
The ADS Data Catalogue introduces multi-parameter searching. This allows users to combine searches for:
- What (keywords and data types)
- Where (geographic location) and,
- When (time periods)
Results can be displayed as individual listings, aggregated on an interactive map, or plotted on timeline views, offering a new way to engage with archaeological data.
As a truly national heritage resource, users can now simultaneously search collections from across leading heritage organisations including:
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Manx National Heritage
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme
- Historic England
- 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.
Get Started and Help us Improve
To help users navigate this catalogue’s features, we have created a comprehensive user guide. From basic searching and browsing to advanced data discovery, take a look at our Data Catalogue Guide for step by step instructions.
Training videos have also been developed and are available on the Archaeology Data Service YouTube Channel:
- Welcome to the ADS Data Catalogue
- How to search using the ‘What’ function
- How to search using the ‘Where’ function
- How to search using the ‘When’ function
The ADS Data Catalogue is a new and evolving service. We’re continuing to implement improvements, and your feedback is invaluable. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]
