Prioritising emergency recording of cultural heritage

Last updated on 2026-04-15 | Edit this page

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© Di UMAR SALAM. A storm surge crashing over a seawall.

Summary

Coastal cultural heritage—including archaeological sites, historic buildings, and maritime landscapes—is increasingly at risk of erosion, flooding, climate change, and human activity. These threats are often rapid and uneven, making it difficult for heritage professionals to determine where limited resources for documentation and preservation should be focused. Incorporating socio-economic data can also support prioritising areas with social, economic or cultural importance, while also improving equity in heritage preservation.

ADS Datasets

CITiZAN: the Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network

Citizen science collected dataset of heritage sites under threat.

Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys (RCZAS) — Historic England

  • Digital Collection - Historic England (2013) Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys (RCZAS) [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1106880 > Note: Made up of a series of surveys around the English coastline.

The Palaeolithic Rivers of Southwest Britain

  • Collection - Tony Brown, Robert Hosfield, Laura Basell, Phil Toms, S. Hounsell, R. Young (2008) The Palaeolithic Rivers of Southwest Britain [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1000027

Inland Navigation in England and Wales before 1348: GIS Database

  • Collection - Oksanen, E. (2019) Inland Navigation in England and Wales before 1348: GIS Database [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1057497

Summer Precipitation for the England and Wales region, 1201–2000 CE, from Stable Oxygen Isotopes in oak tree rings

  • Collection - N. J. Loader, G. H. F. Young, D. McCarroll, D. Davies, D. Miles, Christopher Bronk Ramsey (2020) Summer Precipitation for the England and Wales region, 1201–2000 CE, from Stable Oxygen Isotopes in oak tree rings [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1078324 (spreadsheet data)
  • Associated publication - Loader, N.J., Young, G.H.F., McCarroll, D., Davies, D., Miles, D., and Bronk Ramsey, C. (2020), Summer Precipitation for the England and Wales region, 1201–2000 CE, from Stable Oxygen Isotopes in oak tree rings. J. Quaternary Sci. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3226

DAFNI Datasets

CGFI