Data archaeology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Data archaeology refers to the art and science of recovering computer data encrypted in now obsolete media or formats.

The term originally appeared in 1993 as part of the Global Oceanographic Data Archaeology and Rescue Project (GODAR). The original impetus for data archaeology came from the need to recover computerized records of climatic conditions stored on old computer tape, which can provide valuable evidence for testing theories of climate change. NASA also utilizes the services of data archaeologists to recover information stored on 1960s era vintage computer tape.

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