La ricerca a portata di click. Database relazionali e siti web: "contenitori" e "visualizzatori" per i dati archeologici

The aim of "Project Ca'Tron. Navigating in the past between Treviso and Venice Lagoon" (annual research fellowship funded by European Social Funds), is to create a relational database with MySQL (open source software for database management) and making it accessible through a dedicated website. In the database were included data previously collected and processed, which came from the archaeological excavation of the Estate of Ca'Tron, by the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Padua (2000-2010). At the same time a website was created; it has been divided into eight main sections (PROJECT TERRITORY, ARCHAEOLOGY, MATERIALS, 3D RECONSTRUCTIONS, LANDSCAPE, HISTORICAL SOURCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY) and connected to a database, in which users can find raw data and elaborated research results. The structure of the website is user friendly and the data are easy to understand. Moreover, these are linked to photos, drawings and 3D reconstructions (developed with Blender). Finally, this website is useful for more experienced users. Indeed, it allows users to analyse specific topics through links and web pages, to manage the raw data (Stratigraphic Units sheets or descriptions of archaeological finds) or to deal with elaborated data. The project aims to open those archaeological data, usually reserved to specialists, to a wider audience. This is made through an explicit and transparent process in order to provide a clear interpretation of the investigated contexts.