Filipa NETO / Ana Lema SEABRA
(Lisboa, Portugal)
Keywords: Database; Inventory; Bioarchaeology
Abstract:
The Directorate General of Cultural Heritage (DGPC) central administration service with responsibilities of management, salvage, rescue and valorization of cultural heritage assets, has the underlining obligation of maintaining an up to date inventory of archaeological materials . As such the DGPC develops and updates an archaeological heritage information system – Endovélico, ensuring the recommendations upheld by the La Valletta Convention (Malta, 1992). Thus, besides constituting an inventory of heritage records based on archaeological field reports, it works as well as an integrated system, indispensable for the development of national politics for heritage defense and value. Given the high quantity of archaeological reports (from both salvage and research) containing biological and funerary data, a specific recording model was developed as a means to manage and potentiate this information. This way the systematization of this data intends to enable their access to
researchers and professionals assuming that the biological heritage is an important resource for the knowledge of Past Populations, their socio-cultural contexts as well as national idiosyncrasies and Humanity itself. This communication aims to present the data base along with some associated issues and future strategies for development.