Bridging Archaeological Samian Ware Data and the Knowledge Graph: Potentials and Challenges of Using Wikidata as a Linking Hub

This discussion paper explores the role of Wikidata as a secondary database and linking hub for the Linked Open Samian Ware project, which builds upon the specialised archaeological primary database Samian Research. This resource comprises 250,000 catalogued Roman potters’ stamps found on red slipware from more than 4,000 sites throughout the Roman Empire. This archaeological find category is called Samian Ware within the Anglo-Saxon research tradition, whereas continental European research traditions generally refer to it as terra sigillata. The data is continuously curated by a group of academic researchers and Citizen Science participants from all over Europe. This paper examines the potential and challenges of using Wikidata to broaden the embedding of Citizen Science in the LEIZA (Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie) research strategy related to Roman economic history and to enhance data interoperability, visibility, and integration across multiple platforms, drawing on standards such as CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CIDOC CRM) and referencing external terminologies like Pleiades and the fuzzy-sl Wikibase. This paper reflects on issues of data modelling, quality assurance, and FAIRification, discussing how Wikidata can support Open Science in archaeology while navigating the complexities of aligning domain-specific data with a global knowledge graph.