DigMaster site serves as display for artifacts

A new World Wide Web site is allowing university professors a way to display an entire collection of Eastern archaeological materials that might otherwise remain under wraps.

The DigMaster Database was created by Paul F. Jacobs of Philosophy and Religion and Joe Seger of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology as a venue to display all the materials recovered from a dig, not just "the pretty ones."

"Because ordinary publications usually cannot afford to publish more than a few of the finest artifacts in photographic form, the database for artifact study and comparison is usually very small and slanted toward the pretty ones," explained Jacobs.

"Since we recovered 545 fragments of one type of artifact (figurines belonging to the Persian and Iron II periods of ancient Israel), it was immediately clear that we couldn't compare our collection to anyone else's because they did not or could not publish them," he added.

Jacobs said DigMaster establishes a useable database that is for the first time not artificially slanted by selection. The site also makes results more timely.

"Very often," Jacobs said, "Eastern archaeologists don't publish their finds until decades after their discovery. DigMaster makes data available which hasn't yet been published."

In addition to color photographs of artifacts--some of which rotate--the site contains field reports, line drawings, plans, and site photos.

DigMaster has been praised by reviewers as "highly innovative and creative work" and a site that is "setting the pace for things to come."

The URL for the DigMaster Database is http://www.cobb.msstate.edu/figurines.