What is a digital repository and what is it used for in a digital archeology project such as myEleusis, which is being developed for the archeological site of the sanctuary of Demeter in Eleusis?

In order to answer this question, we must emphasize that one of the most basic and primary tasks of an archaeologist is documentation i.e. the detailed recording of information pertaining to movable and immovable finds of an archaeological site or museum collection. This information is organized into databases whose most advanced form is a digital repository.

In general, digital repositories are mechanisms for storing and managing digital content. They are, in other words, digital collections, in which the content is deposited by the creator, the owner, or a third party. The repositories allow for management of the content and the metadata, while offering key services such as import, retrieval, search, etc.

The digital repository offers additional digital tools for recording, documenting, long-term preservation and dissemination of artefacts to the general public. For example, a monument can be accompanied by numerous digital resources such as texts, multimedia data, 3D models, photographs, etc. In short, a digital repository is the point of entry, organization, and dissemination of these resources, both primary data and their derivatives.

The myEleusis.Repo digital repository is designed by the “Athena” Research Center team in Xanthi and constitutes an indispensable component of myEleusis. Its purpose is to host and maintain all the digitized material and metadata that will result from the project and feed the other applications according to the requirements of the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica. It will take full advantage of cutting-edge technologies (especially Web 3.0), making it easy to use and instantly accessible. For the purposes of digital content management, the design of the system takes into account both the needs of the Ephorate and the project, as well as the international experience to simplify the collection and diffusion of archaeological and cultural data  of the ancient sanctuary of Eleusis.