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Building Data Models for Archaeology: The case of the TETRARCHs Storytelling Data ModelOpen Data

Aida Fadioui

Cite this as: Fadioui, A. 2026 Building Data Models for Archaeology: The case of the TETRARCHs Storytelling Data Model, Internet Archaeology 71. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.1

Summary

This article presents a methodology rooted in grounded theory which was developed through the crafting of a 'Storytelling Data Model' for the Transforming data rE-use in ARCHaeology project (TETRARCHs). This model aims to support the reuse of archaeological data for storytelling purposes across diverse audiences, be it archaeology professionals, creative practitioners, or partners from memory institutions, organisations, and platforms. In the context of TETRARCHs, storytelling is conceived as not just a means of supporting and reimagining data reuse, but simultaneously as a practice of interpretation and meaning-making. This article further discusses the representational implications of data modelling practices in archaeology and how the TETRARCHs Storytelling Data Model has sought to engage with and address these challenges.

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  • Keywords: storytelling, archaeology, data model, audience, grounded theory
  • Accepted: January 2026. Published: March 2026
  • Funding: This article was funded by TETRARCHs project
  • Related digital archive: TETRARCHs Consortium (2026) Digital Archive from the Transforming Data Reuse in Archaeology Project, 2022-2025 [data-set], York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.5284/1139492
    TETRARCHs, Zenodo repository. https://zenodo.org/communities/tetrarchs/
  • PDF download (a simplified, printer-friendly version of this article. Use the Full Text link below for the primary publication)

Corresponding author: Aida FadiouiORCID logo
[email protected]
University of Antwerp

Full text

Figure 1: Iterative research design framework

Figure 2: Semantic representation of the storytelling data classes

Table 1: Illustration of selected competency questions capturing the intended use of the model

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