Archaeology... it's the future!

[squeejay]

Hal,

The main differences that spring to mind first between the VERA and Intrasis projects are as follows:

• The database VERA is using (the IADB) is a fully web based application whereas the intrasis system is stand alone.
  
• Because we have Mike Rains and the IADB, VERA can probably have a lot more say about how the finished things looks and works than EH can have with intrasis.
  
• VERA is using a university research and training excavation to test things and has to deal with undergraduates, EH have proper excavations with real archaeologists and on more than one site.
  
• VERA aren't using any GIS things at all, all our plans are hand drawn on permatrace where I think intrasis have a really cool way of doing plans.
  
• We are bound to have a collaborative project with YAT, UCL and other departments at Reading, whereas EH are freer to make decisions themselves.
  

There are probably loads more, but I think that although both projects are usually put under the same digital archaeology umbrella this is just lazy talk, when are quite different things. I think that the vast majority of archaeology nowadays could be classed as digital - I'm sure that even the most die hard old school archaeologists use Word to write reports rather than a paper notebook!

I should probably add the obligatory bit about my personal views here not necessarily being those of the project, blah blah blah!

Emma (currently Archaeology research assistant for the VERA project)