Public Spatial Data in Service of Polish Archaeologists

The EU 'INSPIRE' directive forces governmental authorities to share public spatial data with taxpayers. It is the main reason of launching WMS Servers in Poland. According to the law, local authorities are saddled with the responsibility to create web-based spatial data-bases. Consequently, the range of geoportals is local as well. Although these are still sparse, the numbers are growing and archaeologist cannot underestimate that fact.

The aim of this paper is to present aspects of Web Map Servers usage in archaeological interrogation. Currently, archaeological spatial information is inefficiently collected and archived in paper. According to this account, it will be demonstrated, that the use of WMS Servers by archaeologists makes management and display of existing data easier and more effective. Both profits and drawbacks of geoportals usage will be discussed.

One can often spot archaeological sites on aerial photographs displayed in WMS Servers. Heritage management offices, which are concerned about every archaeological data that goes into public, have to face it. As the process of public spatial data release is unstoppable, it forces changes in management policy. Free of charge access to Web Map Servers together with the popularity and usability of open-source GIS software give comfortable possibilities to work on diverse fields of archaeological interest.

Rapid growth of GIS tools in dealing with geographical information is an undisputable fact. However archaeological services in Poland seem to have neither knowledge nor need to appreciate it. Furthermore field-walking remains the main method of archaeological data collecting. The results of it are far from ideal because of many reasons. Defects in precise description of site locations and difficulties in managing and sharing of data are the main vices of current approach.

User-friendly WMS Servers can become a simple GIS platform. Displaying current archaeological data on the same layers as offered by geoportals gives extraordinary effects. High quality and actual orthophotomaps as well as open access to the Local Development Plans are a real assist in heritage protection and management. Linking archaeological data-bases with Local Development Plans leads to a better understanding of threats for archaeological sites due to premeditated urbanisation processes. Actual orthophotomaps uploaded into servers in short time intervals (usually every 2-3 years) offer a deep view into illegal, unplanned and dispersed space creation and usage which endanger heritage. Use of Web Map Servers is also a great weapon in school teaching and creating local identities. Unfortunately, since geoportals are not created particularly for archaeological purposes, archaeological information is often missing. Furthermore, as WMS Servers are launched on local level, they often provide in diverse ways information that vary in kind and in quality.