Narrative Provenance
The term "Archaeobyte" was coined to solve a critical gap in digital archaeology: the discipline lacked a fundamental word for its basic unit of discovery. Without this term, the digital past remained an "undifferentiated junkyard" rather than a structured "dig site."
The neologism functions as the archaeologist's "trowel"—the first tool that allows practitioners to see artifacts in the digital dust. It transforms data mining (which seeks patterns) into archaeology (which seeks meaning).
The Two-Part Taxonomy
An Archaeobyte exists in two distinct forms:
Tangible Archaeobyte (The File)
A discrete, self-contained unit of digital information—the "digital-physical" object that can be "bagged and tagged." Examples include .mp3 files, .gif images, .swf Flash files, standalone .html pages, or .txt email logs. These are the "potsherds" and "flint arrowheads" of the discipline, valued for their analyzable form and forensic materiality.
Conceptual Archaeobyte (The Ghost)
A digital-native concept, behavior, or platform function that has become an artifact of a past ecosystem, often lacking a single-file form. Examples include the AIM "Away Message," the "Guestbook," the "Webring," or the MySpace "Top 8." These are the "cultural ghosts"—the rituals and oral histories of the digital past.
Field Notes
Critical Distinction: The Archaeobyte is defined by its provenance (origin from a past epoch), not its current functional state. A 1999 .mp3 file is an Archaeobyte even though it still plays today. The classification of its current state—Living, Liminal, or Petrified—comes from The Triage.
Methodological Note: This term creates the foundational separation between the Digital Archaeologist and the data miner. The data miner sees "datasets" to analyze for patterns. The Digital Archaeologist sees "artifacts" to excavate for meaning.
The Manifesto of the Trowel
To name a thing is to see it. The simple act of naming the "Archaeobyte" is the foundational act of the discipline. It provides the raw material for all subsequent work: excavation, triage, preservation, and ultimately, the forging of new tools from the wisdom of the past.