From Fragmented Records to Digital Insights: Curatorial Practices and Data Management in the Reconstruction of the 19th-Century Carmo Cemetery (Porto, Portugal)

The archaeological record is inherently fragile, and excavation is, by nature, destructive. While the recording of excavation processes has improved significantly, many archaeological sites excavated over the past decades remain under-reported or unpublished. These sites often have incomplete excavation records, hand-drawn sketches, non-annotated photographs, and fragmented fieldnotes associated with them, posing a significant challenge for contemporary researchers attempting to reconstruct past human activities. Recent technological advancements enable the collection of a significant amount of data; however without a proper data management plan (DMP), these records will meet a similar fate. Thus, implementing a DMP and associated narratives allows access to past excavation records, analyses, and interpretations. This paper explores the curatorial practices associated with legacy excavation data, focusing on the use of digital tools to rebuild information obtained during past excavations while emphasizing the need for a DMP as mandatory. The 19th-century cemetery of Carmo in Porto, Portugal, is used as a case study, demonstrating how CAD and GIS tools can be employed to spatialize fragmented data and identify patterns in mortuary practices while implementing appropriate curatorial practices. Despite the limitations imposed by the incompleteness of the original excavation records, in which only 120 of the 480 sets of excavated human remains could be accurately mapped, the analysis provided preliminary insights into the distribution of the human remains and thus the organization of the cemetery. The results highlight the critical need for a robust DMP prior to and during the excavation process, supporting field data collection and long-term curation. This ensures that the ‘destructive’ act of excavation results in a permanent and accessible digital record for future generations.