Informing the Future of the Past:
Guidelines for Historic Environment Records (second
edition)
Edited by Paul Gilman and Martin Newman
Published by English Heritage
at the National Monuments Record Centre, Kemble, Drive, Swindon, SN2 2GZ.
ISBN forthcoming
© English Heritage 2007
All figures unless specified
are © English Heritage. Applications for the Reproduction of images should be
made to the National Monuments Record.
We gratefully acknowledge
permission from the following organisations to reproduce information and
illustrations:
Aberdeenshire
Council, figures 57 & 58;
Archaeology Data Service, figures 19 & 27; Buckinghamshire County Council, figure 56; Central Counties Air Operations Unit, figure 11; Clwyd-Powys Archaeological
Trust, figure 35; Cornwall County Council, figures: 48, 49 & 52; Essex County Council, figures: 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 39,
44, 45 & 55; exeGesIS SDM Ltd. figures: 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26
& 53; Hampshire
County Council, figurer 42; Hertfordshire County Council, figures: 51 & 55;
Historic Scotland, figure 68; Land Management Information System, figure 54; National Trust, figure 26; North Yorkshire County
Council, figurers 23 & 24; Peterborough City Council, figure 59; Royal
Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland, figures: 50, 66,
67 & 68; Somerset County Council, figures: 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 & 69;
University of St Andrews, figures: 36, 37 & 38; West of Scotland
Archaeology Service, figures 28 & 29; Worcestershire County Council, figures: 11, 12, 13, 30, 31, 32, 33 & 34.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 28, 29,
30, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49 , 50 , 51, 52, 55, 56, 57,58, 59 62, 66, 67,
68 & 69 are based on OS maps with the permission of Ordnance Survey on
behalf of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown copyright. All Rights
reserved. Figures 32, 33 & 34 are based on British Geological Survey (BGS)
data by Worcestershire County Council, BGS
Digital License 2001/125. 2007. Unauthorised
reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil
proceedings. OS licence numbers for each organisation basing a figure on an OS
map are given in the caption for the image.
English Heritage is the
Government’s Statutory adviser on all aspects of the historic environment. The
National Monuments Record is the public archive of English Heritage.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for
this book will be available from the British Library
All rights Reserved
No part of this publication
may be reproduced or translated in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and
retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. HER Managers
may photocopy this document or store an electronic copy for use within the HER.
Front cover designed by Agnes Bell. Website designed by Bruce Howard.
Cover: Moel Arthur Iron Age
hillfort, Flintshire, © Clywd Powys Archaeological Trust 84-c-0274; Fire in Park Quadrant, Glasgow
in 2006, © Crown Copyright: RCAHMS DP 009620; Shipwreck on coastline, Saltwick Bay, North Yorkshire, © English Heritage Photo Library K020590;
Archaeology, Ashby De La Zouch Castle, Leicestershire, ©
English Heritage Photo Library N060476.
Introduction to the
guidelines
A. An introduction
to Historic Environment Records
A.1.1 The information resource
A.2 How and why did SMRs and HERs develop
A.3.2 Local government departments
A.4 National heritage legislative and policy framework
A.5
Local authorities and planning
A.6 What are the links to other records?
A.6.3 National networks and
resources
A.7 HERs as public information services
A.8.1 Strategic development and
co-ordination
A.8.6
From SMRs to HERs – evolution or revolution?
B. How do you manage an Historic Environment Record?
B.2.2 How can forward plans help?
B.2.3 What should be included in a
forward plan?
B.2.4 The forward planning process
B.2.6 Monitoring progress and
reviewing the plan
B.3.2 Understanding continuing
professional development
B.3.4 The Institute of Field
Archaeologists (IFA)
B.3.6 The Institute of Historic
Building Conservation (IHBC)
B.3.7 Other relevant organisations
B.3.8
Training and CPD in HERs
B.4.2 Updating the recording policy
B.4.4
Inclusion of archaeological science data in HERs
B 5.2 Image management
systems
B 5.3 Archaeological science data
B 5.4
OASIS and data exchange procurement
B.6
Data standards for the historic environment
B.6.1 What are data standards?
B.6.2 Why are data standards needed?
B.6.4
The FISH interoperability toolkit
B.7
Management of Data Standards – FISH
B.8
Managing HER Information Systems
B.8.1 Technical support for HER
systems
B.8.3 Procuring new information
systems
B.9 Intranets and the Internet
B.9.3 Metadata for electronic
resources curated by HERs
C. Recording practice guidelines
C.1 Data dictionaries and recoding practice guidelines
C.1.1 Keeping the recording practice
guidelines up to date
C.1.2 Quality assurance
procedures
C.2 Modelling the past on HERs
C.2.4 Implementing a data
model for HERs
C.3
Case study, recording events and monuments: Throckmorton Airfield, Worcestershire
C.4.1 The level of detail at which
records will be created
C.4.2 Levels of interpretation:
elements, monuments and landscapes
C.4.3 Relationships between records
C.5.1 HER numbers and other
identifiers
C.5.2 Core data for monuments
records
C.5.3 A typical monument record
C.5.4
Indexing monument records
C.7.1 A constant feature of HER
databases
C.7.2 Core data standards for events
C.8.2 Distinguishing sources and
events
C.8.3 Interpreting monuments from
sources
C.9 Levels at which sources will be catalogued
C.10.1 Core data standards for
sources
C.10.2 A
typical source record
C.11 Consultations
and planning casework
C.11.1 The archaeological
conservation process
C.11.2 The historic buildings
conservation process
C.11.3 Why record conservation
advice?
C.11.4
Consultation record and recommendations
C.12.2 Management recommendations
C.12.4
Case study, recording monument management: Shooting Butts Barrow, Shropshire
D How do you compile, maintain
and enhance an HER?
D.1 Compilation – the beginnings
D.2 How does your recording policy fit in?
D.3
Compilation from basic sources
D.3.1 National heritage datasets
D.3.2 Compilation from documentary
sources
D 3.3 Recording maritime heritage
D.3.4 Compilation from digital
sources
D.3.5
Approaches to compilation from basic sources
D.4 Keeping up to date with fieldwork
D.4.1 Existing digital resources
D.4.2 Planning guidance and new
fieldwork
D.4.3
Importing digital data from external sources
D.5
HERs and enhancement projects
D.5.1 National projects and
programmes
D.5.2 Local Authority partnerships
D.5.3 Local groups and societies
D.5.5 National Thematic Recording
Projects
D.6
Case studies of HER enhancement projects
D.6.1 Creating an event record and
GIS layer (WoSAS)
D.6.2
Providing historic mapping for the HER: Worcestershire Tithe Map Project
D.6.3 Creating a deposit model for
the Palaeolithic in Worcestershire
D.6.4 Funerary and ritual sites
(Clwyd-Powys)
D.6.5 The Shorewatch
(SCAPE) project (Univ St Andrews)
E. Geographic Information
Systems (GIS), mapping and spatial data
E.1 Geographic information in HERs: maps and GIS
E.1.3 GIS and spatial databases
E.2.1 Modelling and documenting
spatial data
E.2.2 Systems to work with spatial
data (GIS)
E.2.5
Useful websites and references
E.3.1 Uses of GIS and spatial data
E.3.2 Linking GIS to text databases
E.3.3 Developing HER layers in the
GIS
E.3.4 Mapping features on the GIS
E.4 Spatial data standards and documentation
E 4.1 National and international
spatial standards
E 4.3 Useful websites and references
E.5 Historic Landscape Characterisation
E.5.5
Issues relating to how HLC may complement the HER
E.5.6
Data maintenance and update
F.1 HER information
services policy
F.4 Access and charging policies
F.4.2 Commercial value of HER
information
F 4.4
Copyright, database right and licensing
F.5 Legislation
applicable to gathering, storage, use and supply of archaeological information
F.5.1
The Data Protection Act (1998)
F.5.2
The Freedom of Information Act (2000)
F.5.3
The Environmental Information Regulations (2004)
F.5.4 Implications for HERs of FOI
and EIR
F.6 The questions people ask of HERs
F.6.1 A user driven perspective
F.6.3
Search mechanisms and output types
F.7 Developing public access and outreach
F.8 HERs and the World Wide Web
F.8.2 Making HER resources available
online
F.8.3 Information gateways and
portals
F.8.4 Records on-line:
case studies
G Glossary and
List of Abbreviations
G.2
Projects and information resources
G.3
Legislation and conservation measures
G.7
Information management systems and recording practice
G.10
Information technology and the internet
H.
Bibliography and further reading
I.3
Information technology and the World Wide Web
I.10.5 Information gateways/portals
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Figure no. |
Caption
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|
A |
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|
1 |
The HER 'wheel' drives and is powered by an integrated approach to
conservation and understanding of the historic environment |
|
2 |
Designated wreck sites (February 2005) |
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3 |
HERs and other records |
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B |
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4 |
Information management cycle |
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5 |
The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage |
|
6 |
The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of
historic environment records. |
|
7 |
The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages |
|
8 |
A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page |
|
9 |
The FISH web site www.fish-forum.info is the starting point for finding
out about data standards for the historic environment |
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C |
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10 |
The event-monument-source data model |
|
11 |
Throckmorton known archaeological sites prior to the 2001 Foot and
Mouth epidemic |
|
12 |
Placename evidence from 1774 Throckmorton Enclosure map |
|
13 |
Throckmorton events undertaken as part of Foot and Mouth mitigation |
|
14 |
Relationships between monument records. |
|
15 |
The monument record for the chapter house at Waltham Abbey displayed
in exeGesIS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
|
16 |
Indexing monument records using the Thesaurus of Monument Types and
other terminology lists in exeGesiS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
|
17 |
Creating links between a monument record and
associated people and events in exeGesIS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
|
18 |
A report showing a monument record in the Essex Heritage Conservation
Record. |
|
19 |
Example of a project summary page from the OASIS form |
|
20 |
How an event may be recorded in an
HER database |
|
21 |
A typical source recorded in exeGesIS SDM
Ltd’s HBSMR software |
|
22 |
Consultation and conservation advice |
|
23 |
A typical consultation record from the North
Yorkshire County Council HER showing the details tab. |
|
24 |
A typical consultation record from the North
Yorkshire County Council HER showing the consultation Stages tab and the link
to the related event record. |
|
25 |
Monument management process |
|
26 |
Successive monument monitoring reports as recorded in the National
Trust SMR |
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D |
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27 |
ADS web page – Excavation Index |
|
28 |
WoSAS Events 1: An example of an archaeological
evaluation specified to trench level, derived from contractor supplied data. |
|
29 |
WoSAS Events 2: The event record for the heart of
medieval Glasgow showing numerous events as points and polygons. |
|
30 |
Elmley Castle Tithe map displaying apportionment
details for land use |
|
31 |
3D historic reconstruction of Elmley Castle using
the digital tithe map |
|
32 |
Date ranges of Worcestershire's Quaternary
geology |
|
33 |
Type sites selected for the Worcestershire
Palaeolithic HER |
|
34 |
HER data overlain on terrace deposits displayed
by period |
|
35 |
Maes Mochnant Standing
Stone, Powys. |
|
36 |
NoSAS
members surveying at Loch Hourn
|
|
37 |
Clyne Heritage Society members working at an eroding structure on the
beach at Brora, Sutherland |
|
38 |
Unst Heritage Society
surveying an eroding prehistoric mound in Shetland |
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E |
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39 |
Using three dimensional modelling in GIS to examine sites in their
landscape setting |
|
40 |
Representing the location of a heritage object within a 'virtual
space'. |
|
41 |
Representing the approximate location of a heritage object as a fuzzy
boundary. |
|
42 |
A GIS generated map showing Bronze Age barrows over Landscape Types
and rivers in Hampshire |
|
43 |
Relationships between HER text databases and GIS
in text |
|
44 |
A GIS layer showing the use of polygons to show
the extent of the early 19th-century defences at Chelmsford. |
|
45 |
Great Chesterford scheduled area |
|
46 |
Examples of layers in a GIS |
|
47 |
A new GIS layer:
archaeological sites on arable land |
|
48 |
The first HLC in England – carried out in
Cornwall |