Many data-sharing or search interfaces now utilise spatial representations of data to allow more intuitive searching. This is demonstrated by the Archaeology Data Service resource ArchSearch, which pioneered this approach and allows users to click on a map to search for data in a predefined area. The introduction of specialised geographic tools has seen the development of a number of GIS-based search facilities such as PastMap, developed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. PastMap brings together data from four resources in Scotland; the National Monuments Record, The Listed Buildings of Scotland, the Scheduled Ancient Monuments of Scotland and Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes. Many applications for GIS have so far been restricted to internal heritage management resources, notably the ARCHIS application at the National Archaeological Service (ROB) in the Netherlands and at many local authorities in the United Kingdom working on Historic Landscape Characterisation projects (e.g. Suffolk). The ARENA search interface set out to utilise map interfaces because they are far more interactive and intuitive.
Spatial issues and map interfaces in particular are discussed in more detail by Dam and Hansen in this issue of Internet Archaeology.
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