Skip to Main Content
26/29

Glossary

The following terms relating to cultural heritage inventories and surveys are used in this publication.

archaeological predictive model
A method to assess the likelihood of the presence of archaeological remains for a particular area based on a range of factors, including geographic and environmental characteristics and patterns within the cumulative known archaeological evidence for the area in question. Key sources for establishing such patterns may include existing inventory information, records from prior field surveys or investigations, and historical map regression. Archaeological predictive modeling is commonly applied within heritage impact assessment processes.
archaeological sensitivity map
A map produced through archaeological predictive modeling to convey the probability of encountering archaeological features across a specific area, and sometimes also the likely degree of significance, or other characteristics of potential archaeological features. Such maps are often applied within heritage impact assessments. Related Terms include archaeological potential and archaeological priority.
authoritative data source
A single, officially designated source authorized to provide one or more types of information that is trusted, timely, and secure and on which lines of business rely ().
controlled vocabulary
An information tool that contains standardized words and phrases to refer to ideas, physical characteristics, people, places, events, and subject matter, among other topics. It is used to index and/or to retrieve content through browsing or searching and typically includes preferred and variant terms, has a defined scope, or describes a specific domain ().
cultural mapping
A methodology focused on involving communities in identifying and recording the location and attributes of local tangible and intangible cultural assets, often as a basis to inform government interventions or community initiatives ().
data migration
The planned movement of data to new readable and interoperable formats and more recent versions of software ().
data standard
A technical specification that describes how data should be created, stored, or exchanged to enable the consistent collection and interoperability of that data across different systems, sources, and users. A data standard can be composed of multiple components, including data types, identifiers, vocabularies, formats, application programming interfaces (APIs), and schemas defining relationships among different pieces of information ().
heritage impact assessment
A formal assessment of the impact of a proposed development or other change on the cultural significance of a heritage place or places. HIAs are typically required under the legal or policy framework of jurisdictions and usually occur as part of a planning or design process to ensure that the cultural significance of places is taken into consideration and to mitigate adverse impacts upon significant attributes. Many HIA regimes take into account impacts of proposed projects on the setting and views associated with heritage resources.
heritage inventory
An ongoing record identifying and describing significant and potentially significant heritage resources. Inventories may also contain records of heritage resources that no longer exist, for purposes of posterity or research, and of places determined through evaluation to not meet a minimum threshold of significance. They are established to serve as tools for a range of purposes, including heritage management and protection and public information, engagement, and appreciation. A statutory inventory is recognized by law as the authoritative information source upon which planning decisions regarding heritage are based.
heritage listing, designation, and registration
Most nations have legal regimes for formally recognizing heritage resources at national, regional, and local levels of jurisdiction. Such recognition is known by differing names in different countries, including listing, designation, and registration. Regimes for recognition typically specify related thresholds, including significance criteria. Formal recognition also confers differing implications depending on the jurisdiction, such as legal protection, required consideration in regulatory processes, and financial incentives. See also heritage significance assessment or evaluation and significance threshold.
heritage significance assessment or evaluation
A formal assessment or evaluation of the significance of a heritage place according to local, regional, national, or world heritage assessment criteria, thresholds, and other guidelines.
heritage survey
An activity over a specific timeframe to identify, describe, and/or assess the significance of potential heritage resources within a defined geographic area—often also determining which places or properties are not significant. Ideally, surveys are designed to feed information into an ongoing heritage inventory, thereby adding new and updating existing inventory information.
historic context
A term used in heritage practice in the United States and Canada defined as “an organizational format that groups information about related properties based on theme, geographic limits, and chronological period” (). Historic context statements synthesize information about each theme into a written narrative, identify and describe important associated heritage typologies, and establish specific standards and guidelines for making significance assessments. They help ensure consistency in resource identification and can be used to evaluate the significance of heritage resources as part of inventory and survey work, as well as for designation or listing. See also thematic framework and thematic (or theme) study.
historical map regression
A process used in research on the history of places that compares maps of an area compiled in different time periods to help determine the current state of and changes to the natural or built environment. In archaeology, map regression can help locate features appearing only on earlier maps and assign building phases. It is frequently part of desk-based assessments before field work ().
intensive-level survey
A survey type that includes in-depth field inspections and research sufficient to thoroughly document, describe, and evaluate the significance of heritage resources within a geographic area. An intensive survey is generally conducted following the completion of a reconnaissance-level survey (; ). See also reconnaissance-level survey.
interoperability
The ability of an information system to provide data in a way that can be used by another information system or service without the need for additional work, such as rekeying of data ().
legacy data
Information an organization may have invested substantial resources in developing that has retained its value but become difficult to access efficiently. Typically, the technology (software and/or hardware) used to create or store the data has been rendered outmoded or obsolete ().
no-strike list
A list established in international law and military rules of engagement used by military forces to identify places or objects protected from military operations, including cultural sites ().
open-source software
A computer program made available free of charge to the general public. Its source programming code is also open and accessible, which means that its original design may be modified. Any customizations, upgrades, or improvements made to the software by anyone must remain freely available as well.
reconnaissance-level survey
A survey type that includes cursory field inspections and research sufficient to provide preliminary information about the history and development of a geographic area, the historic themes and time periods represented, and the nature and distribution of associated heritage typologies, sometimes called a windshield survey. Reconnaissance surveys are generally completed to help focus research, field survey, and documentation efforts for intensive surveys (; ). See also intensive-level survey.
restricted-target list
A restricted target is an otherwise-lawful military objective whose attack is subject to some restriction, often on account of its proximity to protected objects, such as cultural sites. The proximity of cultural property to a military objective can be grounds for placing the objective on a restricted-target list, according to which any attack on the objective must be conducted under stringent conditions, such as employing a specific weapon, to avoid or at least minimize incidental damage to cultural property ().
significance threshold
The minimum level of assessed cultural heritage significance of a place or property to justify its inclusion on relevant local, state, national, or world heritage designation lists. Threshold indicators, which may include factors such as integrity and authenticity, may be used to determine the relative significance of a place. Often these rely on comparison of a place with other similar examples within a defined area or jurisdiction, such as across a locality, state or province, or nation ().
thematic framework
An organizing structure that broadly identifies themes relating to important trends, topics, and patterns in prehistory and history that are represented through a diverse range of heritage places. Thematic frameworks help ensure that heritage identification, designation or listing, and interpretation represent a full range of deliberately articulated themes. See also historic context and thematic (or theme) study.
thematic (or theme) study
A narrative document that presents in-depth research or a synthesis of existing research on a specific theme or themes, often those identified through a thematic framework. Thematic studies help justify the significance of themes and associated heritage typologies and are used to support evaluation of the significance of heritage resources, including for resource identification in inventories and through surveys, and for resource designation or listing. See also historic context and thematic framework.
thesaurus
A controlled vocabulary arranged in a specific order and characterized by three relationships: equivalence, hierarchical, and associative. Thesauri may be monolingual or multilingual. Their purposes are to promote consistency in the indexing of content and to facilitate searching and browsing ().