tDAR supports broadening the access to a wide variety of archaeological data. Browsing or searching the tDAR repository enables users to identify digital documents, data sets, images, and other kinds of archaeological data for a number of uses, including research, learning, and teaching. tDAR enables users to download data files while maintaining the confidentiality of legally protected information and the privacy of digital resources on which a researcher is still working. Our intelligent searching tools make it easy to find exactly what you are looking for. You can search within any or all of the fields containing the rich metadata associated with each record. General searches also search within the text of each publicly accessible file. You are also able to narrow your search by resource type, or spatially by using our map tool. Additionally, our metadata are indexed by major search engines, meaning that your archaeological information can be located by a wide audience.
Using tDAR
Research
tDAR contains a vast amount of resources and tools that can enrich your ongoing research. It houses a library of resources that you can use to carry your research project from proposal to completed study. Moreover, tDAR maintains a powerful set of tools that enable you to integrate multiple data sets from different sources and to collaborate with other researchers to create large aggregated data sets.
Teaching
tDAR is uniquely situated to make a significant contribution to the teaching of archaeology. While the educational potential extends from K-12 through graduate-level course work and beyond, our emphasis at this time is on the college and graduate students that will soon contribute to the discipline themselves.
Learning
tDAR’s archives are a great tool for learning more about archaeology from around the world, including your own backyard! Browse a variety of images of artifacts, or look up a report of a National Park, or a site in your backyard. tDAR is perfect for avocational or burgeoning archaeologists.