This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New online archeology resource
20/06/2002
Archaeologists, historians, students and teachers will
all benefit from a new online map-searching service
introduced today by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland (
RCAHMS).
CANMAP (
to access follow this
link) allows users to see the distribution of
archaeological sites and buildings of historical interest
in any chosen area of Scotland. It was officially launched
by Deputy Culture Minister Dr Elaine Murray.
Following a demonstration of the website, Dr Murray
said:
"The Commission collects and curates a wealth of
information on Scotland's built heritage. It is important
that this work is made available to as wide a customer-base
as possible, and the launch of
CANMAP is a
positive and welcome development.
"Searching via a map has always been one of the primary
requirements of those needing information about the built
heritage, but until now it has not been possible to make
this available on-line. This new website not only provides
a gateway to Scotland for the rest of the world but is also
an invaluable tool for professionals, enthusiasts, students
and teachers alike.
"
CANMAP allows
everyone to identify built heritage in an area of their
choice. This may be the area around where they live or a
place they intend to visit. For people tracing their family
tree, it will help bring the past alive by providing
insight into the buildings that would have been part of
their ancestor's every-day lives.
"For the archaeologist,
CANMAP will enhance
their study by allowing them to see what else is located
near an area they are interested in. For the architectural
historian, it will show in what context a particular
building is located. For the student, school pupil or
teacher, it creates a new way of accessing the
CANMORE
database.
"The combination of
CANMAP and
CANMORE
unlocks a significant source of information to the public.
It provides clear benefits as a resource for educational
use, for tourism, for our understanding of our cultural
inheritance and for our appreciation of the build
heritage."
RCAHMS is an
executive non-departmental public body. It carries out a
programme of field surveys and recording of the built
heritage of Scotland under international convention.
As an extension of
CANMORE
(Computer Application for National MOnuments Records
Enquiries),
CANMAP provides an
online map searching service for RCAHMS's computerised
heritage database.
Launched in March 1998,
CANMORE
provides information on architectural, archaeological and
maritime sites throughout Scotland. In 2001-2
CANMORE
received 150,000 hits worldwide.