In modern archaeology, the application of digital information systems is omnipresent. With so much data representing outcomes of very specialist research or unique information coming from the destructive process of excavating, persistent storage is essential. Also, for analyses of artifacts and archaeological structures, it is imperative to be able to assess and compare large datasets in an efficient way. Finally, most archaeological questions have a spatial component; ‘where was this found’, or, ‘what was the regional setting of this site’, rendering GIS (Geographic Information Systems) a very important analytical tool.

Apart from data management and analyses, digital applications are very useful for gathering and dissemination of data; this ranges from various techniques for acquiring or retrieving data through modern field techniques or online data portals, to visualization, e.g. with 3D modeling and digital maps. The web 2.0 lies at the core of many modern developments within archaeology; this relates to the use of webGIS and WIKI’s to share fieldwork results and research data with the world as well as to modern means of communication and electronical publications.

The AAC aims to effectively put the different aspects of modern digital techniques to good use, both in research- and fieldwork settings. Also, education in the use of these techniques is a profound part of the curriculum. A selection of running projects can be found here.