Archaeology Data Service

📢 Ingest training is back and is now open for booking!

Four months on from the launch of Ingest, we're kicking off a new programme of free online training sessions running from August through to December 2026. Whether you're yet to make your first deposit or you're ready to go deeper, there's a session designed for you.

Find out more here: https://buff.ly/AA1VWuo

🔹 Introduction to Ingest (1.5 hours)
New to Ingest? This session covers everything you need to know — from an overview of the system to a hands-on walkthrough of the deposit process. No prior experience required.

Dates: 27 Aug / 17 Sep / 15 Oct / 5 Nov / 10 Dec

🔹 Ingest in Practice (1.5 hours)
Already completed the intro? This follow-on session focuses on completing metadata templates and managing complex, multi-phased projects. Through realistic practice scenarios, you'll leave ready to handle any deposit.

Dates: 3 Sep / 24 Sep / 22 Oct / 26 Nov / 17 Dec

All sessions are free and take place online. Book online now!

👉 Training page: https://buff.ly/9BqsqTv
👉 Eventbrite: https://buff.ly/y8p5Hzm

⭐ CATS Week 2026⭐

This July, our curatorial and technical staff took a break from archiving to discuss the major infrastructure changes in the last year.

From the launch of Ingest to the first HSDS data sets, we’ve been adapting our procedures to address these changes and to improve our workflows even further.

👉 To find out more in our latest blog, written by Olivia Foster visit: https://buff.ly/acavBU5

📸 Image of paining under normal light, then with X-ray revealing painting of a woman underneath. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (2026) Conservation Data from 'Dolbadarn Castle' by Wilson, 1996 to 2025 [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service

📸 Image of paining under normal light, then with X-ray revealing painting of a woman underneath. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (2026) Conservation Data from 'Dolbadarn Castle' by Wilson, 1996 to 2025 [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service

📢 New Guide to Good Practice: A Guide to Personal Data in Archaeological Archives

We're pleased to announce the publication of the latest addition to our long-running Guides to Good Practice series!

Since GDPR was introduced, archaeology has had to adapt how it creates, manages and shares data. This new Guide resolves common misunderstandings around GDPR, drawing on the experience of data creators, managers and digital archivists. It offers practical advice for anyone working with archaeological data, including how to tell whether data is personal or sensitive (or both), and how this should shape handling across different roles.

Developed in collaboration between the Archaeology Data Service and UCL Institute of Archaeology, as part of the TETRARCHs project.

👉 Find out more here: https://buff.ly/7N1c7BF

📖 Read the Guide here, free and open access:
https://buff.ly/boS4Ig9

Just a moment...

⭐ New Blog Post Alert⭐

We are halfway through the CBA Festival of Archaeology, an event aimed at widening the appeal of archaeology.

This weeks blog post, written by Dr Richard Lee, celebrates the occasion by highlighting some of the Community Archaeology collections that we hold in our archives to illustrate the breadth of public and volunteer activity across the UK.

Highlights include :

🪨 Hadrian's Wall Community Archaeology Project
🌳 The ACCORD Project
🗺️ Through the Keyhole
🏰 Castle Donington Community College
🏺 Pontefract Castle

This blog post also details how the AD Scan offer a venue for community research, making it accessible to the wider heritage community.

To find out more visit: https://buff.ly/75lqKQa

⭐ We're Hiring! ⭐

We are excited to announce that we are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Assyriology).

The main purpose of this role will be to take a leading part in our project "Cuneiform in Translation: Arabic" with the responsibility to increase access to Sumerian literature, Akkadian classics, and other texts through translations to Arabic from the original languages. This will be completed using the infrastructure of the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative and in collaboration with the larger team of the research programme Towards Universal Access to Cuneiform Heritage, an ambitious endeavour to transform access to cuneiform heritage through digital tools and multilingual outreach.

Full-time, fixed term from 8 September 2026 until 7 September 2027. Grade 6, £37,694 to £42,254 a year. Based at The Guildhall, York.

Apply by 06.08.2026

To find out more about the role and apply, visit: https://buff.ly/lVt77X6

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.

We offer family-friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff.

Translation below:

نحن نوظّف!
يسرّنا أن نعلن أننا نبحث عن باحث ما بعد الدكتوراه في الآشوريات (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Assyriology).
يتمثل الهدف الرئيسي لهذه الوظيفة في الاضطلاع بدورٍ رائد في مشروعنا «الكتابة المسمارية في الترجمة: العربية»، وذلك من خلال العمل على توسيع إتاحة الأدب السومري والكلاسيكيات الأكدية وغيرها من النصوص عبر ترجمتها إلى اللغة العربية مباشرةً من لغاتها الأصلية.
سيتم تنفيذ هذا العمل باستخدام البنية التحتية الخاصة بـ مبادرة المكتبة الرقمية للكتابة المسمارية (Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative)، بالتعاون مع الفريق الكبير لبرنامج البحث "نحو إتاحة عالمية للتراث المسماري"؛ وهو مشروع طموح يهدف إلى إحداث تحول في الوصول إلى التراث المسماري من خلال الأدوات الرقمية والتواصل متعدد اللغات.
وظيفة بدوام كامل بعقد محدد المدة، من 8 سبتمبر 2026 حتى 7 سبتمبر 2027. الدرجة 6، براتب سنوي يتراوح بين 37,694 و42,254 جنيهًا إسترلينيًا. مقر العمل: The Guildhall، يورك.
آخر موعد للتقديم: 06.08.2026
للمزيد من المعلومات حول هذه الوظيفة وكيفية التقديم، يرجى زيارة الرابط التالي: https://buff.ly/lVt77X6
نشجّع بشكل خاص المتقدمين من ذوي الأصول الإفريقية أو الآسيوية أو من خلفيات عرقية أقليّة، والذين لا يزال تمثيلهم محدودًا في الجامعة.
كما نوفر بيئة عمل مرنة وصديقة للأسرة، إلى جانب منصّات ومرافق شاملة وداعمة تهدف إلى دعم موظفينا وتعزيز بيئة عملٍ متكاملة للجميع.

⭐ New Blog Post Alert ⭐

Last month Archivists Burcu Aksahin and Marco Brunello, had the opportunity to represent the ADS and HSDS at the second ATRIUM Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) held in Athens, Greece.

The event explored Research Spotlight, an automated, ontology-driven workflow, along with sessions on understanding existing data, guided coding, and future developments.

To find out more visit: https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/blog/the-ads-at-the-second-atrium-mutual-learning-exercise-in-athens/

🌳 The Festival of Archaeology 2026 is here! 🌳

This year's theme, Archaeology and Nature, explores the connections between people, landscapes, and the natural world across thousands of years.

One of the ways we are celebrating this year is with our new self-guided walking route around Ilkley Moor, one of Britain's richest prehistoric rock art landscapes. Developed with the Friends of Ilkley Moor and drawing on England's Rock Art Archive, the walk combines stunning scenery with practical guides, helping you explore the archaeology of this remarkable landscape.

To find out more or download the walking guide, visit the Festival of Archaeology Resource Page or visit: https://buff.ly/QNptUoP



📸 Images courtesy of Andy Savage and Barry Wilkinson via the Friends of Ilkley Moor

📖 Between the Fictional and Real Archive 💿️

The stereotype of dust covered archives as an indication of the passage of time or as a physical representation of a societies memory and history can be seen throughout media. From popular novels, to video games and film archives are depicted as restricted areas or an obstacle to be overcome.

The focus of this weeks blog post by Digital Archives Assistant Leonora Fane-Saunders, focuses on the how closely work at the ADS mirrors this depiction of archives. To read the full blog post visit: https://buff.ly/GzLEVYF

⭐ Start of a New Era⭐

Last month the ADS moved to our new office at the Guildhall! This remarkable, historic building in the centre of York originally served as a meeting place for medieval guilds. Today, the newly renovated building serves as a space for offices, conferences, and events.

Fittingly, Internet Archaeology has also recently published the excavations from the north annexe, offering a look into the site's long and varied past.

To read more about the archaeology beneath the new offices visit: https://buff.ly/IF8IJL5

This week marks World Wellbeing Week, an international awareness week focused on promoting health and wellbeing.

To coincide with the week, Internet Archaeology has recently released Issue 73: Wellbeing and Archaeology, featuring research that explores how heritage-led projects can support wellbeing. The issue includes work with young people, maritime heritage, NHS staff, and communities across the UK and beyond.

To find out more about this collection of articles highlighting the power of heritage to improve wellbeing, visit: https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/news-events/internet-archaeology-wellbeing-issue/