FAIR & CARE in southern South America: Examining Archaeological Data in Córdoba Province, Argentina

IZETA, ANDRÉS D.; CATTÁNEO, ROXANA

Auckland

Conferencia; 51st Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology International Conference; 2024

CAA Australasia

In recent years, the international scientific community has been advancing the idea of how to analyze and share academic knowledge in line with the principles of open science. This presentation focuses on characterizing the state of affairs in Córdoba's archaeology and its adherence to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) principles for Indigenous Data Governance. These principles were created to advance the legal assumptions underlying collective and individual data rights, particularly in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).We analyze three dimensions related to regional archaeological research and its curation and dissemination: spatial interpretation, temporal interpretation, and communication. The spatial dimension reveals a challenge in geolocating archaeological sites due to concerns about their protection and the lack of precise information. In terms of the temporal dimension, current historical-cultural models are insufficient, and the scarcity of radiocarbon dating complicates the construction of precise chronologies. To address these challenges, all of this data is now publicly available at The Suquía Institutional Repository. This database was developed as a digital platform for the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage in Argentina. It includes a diverse range of cultural material, such as documents, photographs, maps, newspapers, videos, and audio recordings. This digitization of cultural heritage is essential to guarantee the conservation and accessibility of documented material associated with archaeological investigations. In addition, the Suquia Repository serves as a valuable resource for indigenous communities, environmentalists, researchers, scholars, and students seeking to research or learn about Argentina's cultural heritage. By making cultural heritage materials freely available to the public, the Suquia Repository seeks to promote a more informed and educated society by ensuring access to knowledge. As a result, it stands as a nationwide example of how institutions foster this type of initiative.Regarding the third aspect, data communication, and storage infrastructure, the region has a tradition of archaeological publications and a growing interest in open-source systems to ensure open access to data. Institutional repositories and university-based journals using systems like PKP's Open Journal System, which follows the Diamond Open Access model (papers published, distributed, and preserved with no fees to either readers or authors), are the norm. Editorial and content quality are regulated through their inclusion in national and international indexes and databases.These efforts align with the principles of FAIR and CARE, but from an academic perspective. In addition, local indigenous communities are still seeking collective identification and political re-articulation. Therefore, discussions regarding issues of data sovereignty and governance, as well as other ethical considerations in data management, are not immediate concerns. Especially when compared to historical requests for ancestral territories and the return of ancestors' remains.In summary, Córdoba's academic archaeology is consciously or unconsciously moving towards the adoption of FAIR and CARE principles, but faces challenges such as site protection, improving chronologies, and implementing open-source systems for open data access. On the other hand, we have initiated dialogues with indigenous communities to listen to their perspectives on ethical concerns related to archaeological data. Peer data governance and digital data sovereignty are the challenges that academic communities, committed to open science and respecting both ethics and Indigenous knowledge, must address together with Indigenous peoples.