Download Data

How to Download Tabular Data.
Follow the instructions below to download (copy) tabular data from The Research Database to your computer.

Downloading Single-Page Data Tables:

  • Step One: Conduct a search of The Research Database and obtain the data table of interest. Select File from the menu at the top of your browser window.
  • Step Two: Select Save As from the File menu. Save the file in the directory on your computer in which you'd like to store the it. If desired, rename the file so that it references the criteria you used to conduct your search. Save the file with the extension .asp.

    The following example is a table file containing individual artifact information—specifically bone beads from Castle Rock Pueblo (site number 5MT1825): beads_bone_5MT1825.asp

  • Step Three: Open the .asp file in your spreadsheet program.
  • Step Four: Edit the file, if desired, to remove text and headings that aren't part of the data table. If you intend to use and manipulate the data in your spreadsheet program, save the file with the spreadsheet extension.

    The following file was saved as a Microsoft Excel file with the extension .xls: beads_bone_5MT1825.xls

  • Step Five: If you want to work with the data table in a database or statistical program, export the file as a tab-delimited or text file (for example, beads_bone_5MT1825.txt). Then open (or import) the .txt file in your database or statistical program. Be sure to have removed headings during the previous step.

Downloading Multiple-Page Data Tables:

  • Step One: Conduct a search of The Research Database and obtain the tabular data of interest. Select File from the menu at the top of your browser window.
  • Step Two: Select Save As from the File menu. Save the pages of data, one by one, as separate files in the directory on your computer in which you'd like to store the them. If desired, rename the files so that they reference the criteria you used to conduct your search. Use sequential numbers in the file names to make it easier to order the files later. Save the files with the extension .asp.

    In the following example are two table files containing pottery information from two pages of search results—specifically Mesa Verde Black-on-White (VBW) pottery from Castle Rock Pueblo (site number 5MT1825):
    pottery_VBW_5MT1825_1.asp
    pottery_VBW_5MT1825_2.asp

  • Step Three: One by one, open the .asp files in your spreadsheet program, putting each file into a separate worksheet.
  • Step Four: Edit the files to remove text and headings that aren't part of the data table. Remove the header row, which contains the column names, from all files but the first. If you intend to use and manipulate the data in your spreadsheet program, save the first file with the spreadsheet extension.

    The following file was saved as a Microsoft Excel file with the extension .xls: pottery_VBW_5MT1825_1.xls

  • Step Five: To join the multiple files in a single spreadsheet file, open the second spreadsheet file and select all the records by highlighting them with your mouse, and choose Copy from the program toolbar. Paste the highlighted rows into the first spreadsheet file, just after the last row of data. Repeat this process for as many additional spreadsheet files you have. Be sure to save your first spreadsheet file after each addition.
  • Step Six: Doublecheck your work. You should have the same number of data rows in the final spreadsheet file as were in the results of your original Research Database search.
  • Step Seven: If you want to work with the data table in a database or statistical program, export the file as a tab-delimited or text file (for example, pottery_VBW_5MT1825_1.txt). Then open (or import) the .txt file in your database or statistical program. Be sure to have removed headings during step four.

Now you're ready to use the data!
Once you have downloaded the data tables you are interested in, you can manipulate them in your spreadsheet program. You can sort data according to your own needs and combine tables to create a new database. Refer to the reference manual for your spreadsheet or statistics software to learn more about what you can do with data tables.

"Key" fields are provided in the data tables copied from The Research Database. These allow you to associate provenience data with excavation and analytic data. The key fields of "Site," "SU" (Study Unit number), and "Feature" (Feature number) are provided in the tables for architecture, masonry, and features. The key fields of "Site" and "PD" (Provenience Designation number) are provided in artifact and macrobotanical analysis tables.