Cookie Policy for British Megalithic Archive (NeolithicBritain.com)
Last Updated: [Date of Last Update]
This Cookie Policy explains how the British Megalithic Archive, operating the website NeolithicBritain.com ("we", "us", or "our"), uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. It is designed to help you understand what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.
This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides more detailed information on how we process personal data.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the website owners. Cookies are not viruses and cannot install software or harm your device.
Similar technologies include web beacons (also known as pixel tags), local shared objects (Flash cookies), and tracking URLs, all of which perform similar functions to cookies. For simplicity, we refer to all these technologies as "cookies" in this policy.
2. How and Why We Use Cookies
We use cookies for several essential and non-essential purposes, which are categorised as follows:
2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Purpose: To enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility.
2.2 Performance/Analytical Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Purpose: To understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
2.3 Functionality Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Purpose: To remember choices you make (such as language preferences or region) and to provide enhanced, more personal features.
2.4 Targeting/Advertising Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Note: As an academic and cultural heritage archive, our primary use of cookies is for functionality and analytics. We do not currently engage in extensive behavioural advertising. Any such future use would be clearly communicated and subject to your explicit consent.
3. Detailed List of Cookies Used
The table below details the cookies we use on NeolithicBritain.com, their purpose, duration, and type.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NeolithicSession | NeolithicBritain.com | Strictly necessary. Maintains your session state across page requests (e.g., for login or form continuity). | Session | First-party |
| cookieConsent | NeolithicBritain.com | Strictly necessary. Stores your consent preferences for cookie categories. | 1 year | First-party |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Performance. Used to distinguish unique users. | 2 years | Third-party |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Performance. Used to distinguish unique users for a single day. | 24 hours | Third-party |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Performance. Used to throttle request rate. | 1 minute | Third-party |
| pll_language | NeolithicBritain.com | Functionality. Remembers your preferred language setting for the site. | 1 year | First-party |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Strictly necessary. Used for bot management and security. | 30 minutes | Third-party |
This list is non-exhaustive and may be updated. We periodically review our cookie usage and will update this table accordingly.
4. Your Consent and How to Manage Cookies
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie banner or consent management tool. This allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customise your preferences by category (e.g., accepting performance cookies but rejecting targeting cookies).
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking on the "Cookie Settings" or "Privacy Preferences" link, typically found in the website footer.
4.1 Browser Controls
You can also manage cookies through your web browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
- See what cookies you have and delete them on an individual basis.
- Block third-party cookies.
- Block cookies from particular sites.
- Block all cookies from being set.
- Delete all cookies when you close your browser.
Please be aware that if you choose to block all cookies, you may not be able to access all or parts of our site, and some features may not function correctly. The methods for managing cookies vary from browser to browser. For guidance, please consult your browser's help menu or visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
4.2 Third-Party Opt-Outs
For specific third-party cookies used for analytics or advertising, you can often opt out directly via the provider:
- Google Analytics: You can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
- General Online Advertising: You can visit Your Online Choices (UK) or the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out page (US) to manage preferences for many companies.
5. International Data Transfers
Some of our third-party cookie providers (e.g., Google, Cloudflare) are based outside the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Economic Area (EEA). This means that the collection of information via these cookies may involve a transfer of data to countries that may have different data protection laws.
We ensure that any such transfers are conducted in compliance with applicable data protection laws. For transfers to the United States or other countries, we rely on adequacy decisions or appropriate safeguards such as the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, as required by UK GDPR.
6. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the information collected via cookies from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access. However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.
7. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
8. Your Legal Rights Under UK GDPR
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. Since some cookies can process personal data (like IP addresses), these rights may be relevant. They include:
- The right to be informed: This policy fulfils our obligation to inform you about our use of cookies.
- The right of access: You can request access to personal data we hold about you.
- The right to rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate data.
- The right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten"): You can request deletion of your personal data.
- The right to restrict processing: You can request we temporarily halt processing of your data.
- The right to data portability: You can request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
- The right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling: We do not engage in solely automated decision-making with cookie data.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 9. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact our Data Protection Officer:
By Email: privacy@neolithicbritain.com
By Post: The Data Protection Officer, British Megalithic Archive, [Insert Registered Address, e.g., c/o Department of Archaeology, University of XXX, Street, City, Postcode, UK].
10. Lodging a Complaint
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data or a cookie-related query, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, UK
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113