Extending the FAIR Principles to Archaeological Objects through Persistent Identifiers and Standardized Metadata

The FAIR Principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—are central to Open Science and transparent research (Wilkinson et al. 2016). Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), support these principles by creating stable, machine-actionable links between resources and their metadata. While PIDs are increasingly used for some research outputs (e.g., datasets), they are rarely applied to archaeological objects—the physical materials that underpin archaeological research.

In many laboratories and repositories, archaeological objects are catalogued using local, non-persistent identifiers stored in spreadsheets or databases. Such identifiers limit interoperability and visibility, making it difficult to discover objects or link them with related outputs such as analytical results or publications. This restricts reproducibility and long-term reuse.

This presentation introduces a community-driven framework for applying the International Generic Sample Number (IGSN ID) to archaeological objects, together with a discipline-specific metadata profile developed by the IGSN–DataCite Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Community of Practice (Archaeology CoP). The aim is to make archaeological objects FAIR by assigning persistent identifiers and describing them with standardized metadata that supports discovery, citation, and reuse.

Two guiding questions structure this work:

1. How can IGSN IDs be integrated into archaeological workflows?
2. What metadata structure best supports the management and interoperability of archaeological objects?

IGSN IDs are globally unique identifiers for material samples, originally developed in the geosciences and now maintained through a partnership between IGSN e.V. and DataCite (Buys & Lehnert 2021). Technically implemented as DOIs, each IGSN resolves to a landing page with descriptive metadata, ensuring that samples remain discoverable and citable even if their physical state or location changes. Because they use the DataCite Metadata Schema, IGSN IDs integrate with other research identifiers such as ORCID iDs (people) and ROR IDs (institutions). Objects can also carry QR codes or barcodes linking to their landing pages, streamlining cataloguing and inventory management.

To adapt this system for archaeology, the Archaeology CoP developed the Archaeological Sample Metadata Profile and a corresponding Crosswalk Recommendation aligned with the DataCite Metadata Schema. The profile defines 22 core metadata properties grouped into investigation context, actors, discovery metadata, collection details, sample characterization, and relations. It also recommends controlled vocabularies such as the Getty AAT and FISH Terminologies to improve semantic interoperability.

Integrating IGSN IDs into archaeological workflows improves FAIR compliance, supports the CARE Principles (Carroll et al. 2020), and enables interoperability with other PID systems through the DataCite infrastructure. This approach transforms archaeological objects from isolated artefacts into discoverable and reusable research assets.

The outputs of the Archaeology CoP are designed as evolving community standards. Over time, the framework could be extended to specific archaeological subdomains or complemented by related metadata profiles, for example for archaeological sites. The long-term vision is a global system in which archaeological objects are consistently assigned persistent identifiers and described with interoperable metadata.

Adopting IGSN IDs and standardized metadata increases the FAIRness of physical archaeological materials. By embedding PIDs into institutional workflows and aligning metadata practices with international standards, archaeology can ensure that its core research materials remain discoverable, citable, and reusable within the wider ecosystem of Open Science.