OpenDig: In-field data recording for archaeology and cultural heritage

OpenDig is a platform for recording, editing, managing and publishing archaeological data. It comprises of three related applications, one for data entry in the field using hand-held mobile devices, another as a light-weight utility to view and edit data during an expedition and finally a full web application with complete tools for research and analysis. The OpenDig framework relies on open source tools that allow for easy data sharing using standard web-based protocols. This allows for new tools to built on the existing application programming interface (API) for extendibility and collaboration. Through CouchDB, Apache´s NoSQL database, OpenDig is able to adopt a flexible data structure which can be easily modified to fit any particular project, whether it is excavation, survey or other cultural heritage management systems. The three tiered approach also allows for deployment in areas where there is little or no Internet connectivity, allowing for any laptop to act as a portable server for the database and each device acting as a redundant copy for maximum data protection.