A toolkit in your pocket: data creation with the CITiZAN coastal archaeology app
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 24/05/2017

Archaeology in the intertidal zone is at risk from erosion, extreme storm events and climate change. The national community archaeology project CITiZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network) was set up in response to these threats, to raise awareness of at-risk archaeology in England and to train volunteers to recognise and record archaeological features. In order to quickly record fragile threatened features, some of which may only be visible for one tidal cycle and may be destroyed soon after being seen in this dynamic environment, we rely on CITiZAN’s web-based and smart phone app recording system; volunteers can record, geo-locate, photograph and carry out condition surveys of observed archaeological features, or note when these features are no longer visible. This paper will discuss CITiZAN’s training methodologies for the smart phone app and the quality assurance controls put in place to help volunteers to record coastal and intertidal heritage, investigate who these intrepid volunteers are and discuss how they are using the app in practice.

Stephanie Ostrich and Andy Sherman, CITiZAN