Data Provenance For Digital Cultural Heritage

Alongside metadata and paradata, complete provenance data for archaeological artefacts is crucial for transparency and fairness. Whether tangible or intangible, digital or analogue, mutual trust and opportunities for collaboration across diverse geolocations depend on clear authenticity, ownership, and context of artefacts, as provided by provenance data. Cases are shown in which looted artefacts obtained through illegal trades and occupations are revealed by the digital footprint of the provenance data. Following the trajectory of provenance data, the FAIR principle (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) can be facilitated when dealing with digital heritage content across GLAM institutions. A CMS (Collection Management System) in museums and archives can trace the contexts of artefacts and digital content through the recording, analysis, and reuse of provenance data. To focus on how provenance data is integrated into the CMS database of GLAM institutions, digital data generated from cultural heritage can be used as a case study to investigate the methodology, challenges, and debates surrounding archaeological provenance data. The digital heritigisation process of digital heritage with various metadata requires paradata and provenance data to demonstrate the full spectrum of the artefacts, rituals, and craftworks. Through open, transparent, and fair use of digital data, substantial progress can be made and trust and collaboration across regions can be advanced.