out with the old in with the new? online presentation of excavation archives

This article reflects the participation of the Institute of Archaeology, Iceland, in the actions of the ARENA project. In particular the article highlights issues along the pathway to interoperability that the Institute found most important in its participation; that is communication and dissemination of information to the public. Archiving material is not enough, the material to be archived must demonstrate its value, through its diversity and as a commentator on archaeological practice across Europe. Access to archives more than anything else imbues them with value. The archives prepared as part of the ARENA project highlighted a number of problems and tensions that are considered here, they also demonstrated the dissemination advantages of digital publication. The preparation of archives for preservation purposes is also considered, in particular the possibilities explored in Iceland for representing old data transformed into new data.