The Archive and Heritage Group MCP server

• Registry nameza.co.theahg/ahg-archivesverified in the MCP registry

The registry name sits under theahg.co.za. The registry only lets a publisher use that namespace after proving control of the domain through DNS or HTTP.

• Stateanswerschecked 2026-10-27
• Tools16
• Server calls itselfAHG Archives
• Server version1.30.0
• Protocol version2025-06-18

On 2026-10-27 the server answered initialize and tools/list without a sign-in. First answer in 1046 ms.

• Its tools do manage archival description and access through AtoM-based platforms, but not sort, arrange and preserve physical archive holdings; digitise paper records using scanning workflows.

Said by rules from the measurements above. The likely first call is a model's pick from the tool list; read its description before relying on it.

• INITE MCP score69 of 100answers 98 · does the job 33 · definitions 84 · context 90 · use 0 · connects 100
• What an agent can do with it1 of 3 use cases
• Answered100% of days7 of 7 daily checks
• Median first answer1160 ms
• Space in an agent's context≈ 4,309 tokensthe definitions of all its tools (16), which an agent carries on every turn
• Tool definitionsB · 84 of 100
• Typed results0 of 16 toolsdeclared outputSchema: results come typed, read once

• Parameters without a description: in 15 of 16

A program checks the server once a day: initialize and tools/list, no model. Tokens are the definitions' length at about four characters a token. The grade averages six checks of every tool's name, description, schema and annotations; it says how well the tools are described, not whether they work. The score weighs what was measured and nothing else: answering (25%), doing the product's job (25%), definitions (20%), context (10%), use (10%) and how readily a client connects (10%). A part that was not measured is left out, and a hidden instruction caps the score at 40. The state of vendors' MCP servers: method and numbers →

• search_records

  Search archival descriptions (fonds, series, files, items) by keyword. Returns title, level of description and the citable URL of each match. Use get_record on a result for the full description. catalogue: leave empty for the home…

• list_catalogues

  The catalogues this service can search and read. Proposals go to the home catalogue only.

• get_record

  Read one archival description in full, by its slug (the last part of its URL). Includes dates, names, subjects, places, notes and, where the catalogue provides them, its place in the hierarchy, its number of children, images, and its…

• get_children

  List the descriptions directly below one record (for example the series in a fonds).

• work_through_series

  Work through every record below a parent (for example each page of a family Bible), a batch at a time, with a running summary of what you proposed where. Returns a batch of the parent's children, each with your proposals on it so far by…

• get_authority

  Read an authority record (a person, family or organisation) by its slug.

• search_authorities

  Find existing authority records (people, organisations, families) or places by name. Every word must appear in the name, in any order, so "Hendrik Engelbrecht" also finds "Engelbrecht, Hendrik". Use it before proposing a name or place…

• get_iiif_manifest

  Return the IIIF manifest URL for a record's images, for viewing in a IIIF viewer.

• get_record_text

  Read the text held for a record's files: text extracted from a PDF or by OCR, and transcriptions of audio or video. Use it for documents, where reading the text beats looking at a small image. Long text comes in pages: if a result says…

• get_record_image

  Look at a record's image: returns the reference image itself, so you can describe what it shows, read inscriptions or labels, or judge its condition. Use it before proposing a description for a record whose own text is thin. Only images…

• list_my_proposals

  List the proposals you made and what became of them, newest first. Each shows the record, the name, place, date or field text proposed, and its status: pending, approved, edited, linked (to an authority record), rejected…

• propose_access_points_and_dates

  Propose access points (people, organisations, places) and dates for one record. Read the record with get_record first. Propose only what its text, or a reliable source you name, supports; give the evidence and source URLs for each. For a…

• propose_relationships

  Propose relationships between people or organisations that a record states, such as a marriage or parent and child in a family register. Each side must be an existing authority record (give its id from search_authorities) or a person or…

• propose_description_change

  Propose new text for one field of a record, for an archivist to review. text is the complete proposed text for the field, not a fragment: read the record with get_record first and keep what is right in the current text. For a title…

• propose_transcription

  Propose a transcription of a record's file, such as a scanned page with no text. Look at the page with get_record_image first and transcribe what is written, line by line, in its own language and spelling; mark what you cannot read as…

• propose_translation

  Propose a translation of one field of a record into another language. language is the target language code, e.g. "en", "af" or "nl". Translate the record's current text for that field faithfully (read it with get_record); keep names…