Can objects be data? Under what conditions do they become data? Looking at the Prussian-led excavations in Babylon around 1900, this essay will investigate processes of knowledge production in relation to archaeological objects between their excavation and their incorporation in museum collections. It will focus on the nature of the connection between data and the physical objects they represent. How much data does an object yield when it is “found”? What role do epistemic practices, such as the application of visual media in the field and the museum, play in turning objects into data? And finally, will the data remain the same once the objects have reached their final destination?

中文翻译：

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博物馆中的田野：探索柏林的巴比伦

对象可以是数据吗？它们在什么条件下成为数据？本文着眼于 1900 年左右在巴比伦进行的普鲁士人主导的发掘，将研究与考古物品相关的知识生产过程，从它们的发掘到它们被纳入博物馆收藏之间。它将侧重于数据与其代表的物理对象之间的联系的性质。一个对象被“找到”时会产生多少数据？认知实践，例如视觉媒体在现场和博物馆中的应用，在将物体转化为数据方面发挥了什么作用？最后，一旦对象到达最终目的地，数据是否会保持不变？