The Heritage Sample Digital Archive (HSDA) is an initiative to develop a standard metadata profile for documenting heritage samples and related entities. This metadata framework will support the structured documentation, preservation, and sharing of heritage sample data, enabling greater interoperability and accessibility within the heritage science community.
The repository serves as a foundation for the creation of an open Heritage Sample Digital Archive, ensuring that sample-related data can be systematically recorded, stored, and reused in a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) manner.
Note
A Heritage Sample is a small, physical, and representative part of a larger heritage object, or a specific section of it, that has been separated or collected for the purpose of examination, analysis, or research within the field of Heritage Science.
A heritage sample may still physically exist, or it may have been consumed or destroyed during previous analysis. Regardless of its current state, a heritage sample must have clearly defined provenance, including:
- Its connection to the source object.
- The date and location from which it was taken.
- Ideally, precise positional information regarding its original placement within the object.
While heritage samples are typically removed as part of a deliberate sampling event, it is also recognised that samples may become detached through natural processes, accidents, or external forces. In such cases, a detailed record of the event leading to the separation or deliberate selection of the sample is required, along with a high level of confidence that the sample was originally part of the object or thing it is supposed to represent.
To be classified as a heritage sample rather than a generic component or fragment, it must have been collected, retained, or used specifically for examination or analysis. A sample may serve multiple research purposes and contribute to answering a range of scientific or historical questions.
While the association of researchers, scientists, and other specialists with a heritage sample record is valuable, their involvement is not a requirement for the fundamental definition of a heritage sample.
Note that a sample may be taken from a complete object, a defined part or section, or even from a fragment — as long as the sample is clearly documented, and its provenance and purpose are well established.
Note
A Heritage Object is a distinct, identifiable entity of cultural, historical, or scientific significance that exists as a whole or complete thing in its own right, even if it is physically damaged, altered, or partially preserved.
A heritage object may be:
- Fully physical, such as a painting, manuscript, artefact, or structure.
- A record of a previously existing physical item, preserved through documentation, replication, or data.
- A virtual or conceptual representation used to describe or model a heritage entity.
Regardless of its physical condition, the defining feature of a heritage object is that it is considered a self-contained entity, not merely a part of something larger. However, it is possible that a given Heritage Object could have been or might currently be part of a larger Heritage Object and/or be a member of a larger Group of Heritage Objects, as long as it is still considered to be and referenced as a self-contained entity.
Heritage Objects may also contain or be composed of identifiable Parts or Sections. These are components that were:
- Originally designed, defined, created, or formed as distinct and intentional subdivisions of the object (e.g. panels in a polyptych, structural elements of a building, or folios of a manuscript).
This differs from a Heritage Fragment, which refers to a piece that has become detached through damage or degradation, rather than through intentional design or construction.
Note
A Heritage Fragment is a detached physical part that was originally part of a larger heritage object. A fragment is defined by its incomplete status and direct relationship to a more complete original from which it has become separated.
Fragments may:
- Vary in size, form, or state of preservation.
- Result from natural deterioration, accidental damage, or human activity, rather than from a planned sampling process.
- Still carry cultural, historical, or scientific value, especially when their connection to the original object can be established.
Unlike a damaged object, which remains an object in its own right, or a defined Part or Section, which was intentionally created as a component of the object, a fragment is considered a broken or detached piece. It is explicitly understood in relation to the larger object — or part — it once formed part of.
A heritage fragment may later be studied or repurposed for research, but its initial separation was not driven by intentional examination or analysis — a key distinction from a heritage sample.
- Develop a standard metadata profile for heritage samples and related entities.
- Align metadata standards with FAIR principles to ensure interoperability.
- Support integration with existing heritage science and cultural heritage data infrastructures.
- Establish the groundwork for an open digital archive dedicated to heritage sample data.
The metadata model will be structured to include:
- Sample identification and provenance tracking.
- Scientific analysis and examination metadata.
- Relationships between samples, source objects, and researchers.
- Data interoperability with existing heritage and scientific repositories.
We welcome contributions to this repository! If you have an idea, suggestion, or would like to discuss a potential addition, please start by submitting an issue. This allows for open discussion and collaboration before making any formal changes.
Check the existing issues to see if a similar topic has been raised, and feel free to join the conversation. Once discussions progress, contributions can be submitted via pull requests.
Thank you for helping improve this project!
This project was setup as part of the work of the following project:
The Horizon Europe E-RIHS IP project
This project continues to be developed and tested with support from the following projects:
The Horizon Europe ECHOES project
- ECHOES is a project funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement n.101157364 – ECHOES.
- ECHOES is a project funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee n.10110142 & n.10110466.
The UKRI RICHeS HSDS project
The H-SEARCH project
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