Excavations ON-AIR: How archaeological practice reshapes digital tools

The widespread diffusion and adoption of digital methods and tools into archaeological practice have deeply affected and often transformed how archaeologists interact with material culture, impacting also on the collaborative and reflective aspects of excavation methods.
Moreover, these transformations in archaeological methods and practice, have also brought about advancements in data collection, format, management, and publication that have inevitably had wider implications for data archiving, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability.
My doctoral thesis assessed the effects of contemporary digital techniques on conventional archaeological theory and practice, specifically focusing on the use of 3D visualization and digital analytics technology, whose significance in the field has grown substantially. Using these tools in fact, according to research, can improve visual-spatial cognition and enhance conceptual comprehension. The study also addressed current international issues of data FAIRness and open science.
The theoretical foundation of this work was inspired by the principles of archaeological digital curation proposed by Costis Dallas (2015, 2016), theorized on the basis of Jean-Claude Gardin’s logicist program (1980) and the reflections by Markos Katsianis on archaeological information and knowledge5. These principles and reflections emphasize the inseparable link between archaeological data and their interpretation and this approach facilitates transparency throughout the interpretation process, ultimately promoting its critical review.
This paper provides a new perspective on the results of my PhD project,
highlighting how the digital tools that have been designed, developed, and improved within the dissertation framework to support archaeological practice,
were shaped in response to the particular demands and needs of archaeologists
using them.