A handbook for new diggers?

[Wax]

So... what about Photography?

Indeed what are the basics of photography for a site worker, do we still need the black and white film and colur slide that so many projects insist on running along side the digital? I am afraid I converted to digital years ago. I have lost or mucked up far less of the digital images I take than those I took with film (not winding on properly, accindentally exposing the film and getting the appature settings wrong). Converted to a digital SLR with a selection of lenses years ago (will admit to some manipulating in Photo shop which is probably not a good route to go down, how I love that cloning tool )

[Dinosaur]

Indeed what are the basics of photography for a site worker, do we still need the black and white film and colur slide that so many projects insist on running along side the digital?

Black and white prints are meant to be a 'stable' record (since B&W photos have been around for the last century plus and you can still make out someone's great grandfather), and there's currently no guarantee that anyone in 10 years time will be able to open any of today's digital photo files. Slides were meant to be for lectures etc, but since everyone uses Powerpoint these days.....

But in the real world it's just that some curators are still living in the 1980s, some are happy with digital only, personally I regard having 2 different cameras as a good backup in case one lot gets lost for whatever reason

[Wax]

two cameras I agree with, as for archives they are only as good as the archive storage set up that is in place. Mice do like to nibble any thing vaguely papery not to mention mould and damp. Archives are a whole issue in themselves and there is no reason why proper digital archives should not be developed ( with data migration policies).

Negatives and prints take real space and require proper regulation of environment.

Not against film but it is becoming difficult to source and get developed.

[monty]

Most people use one digital and one mono film cameras these days......and slide film has almost disappeared......

[Law]

English Heritage's field archaeology team use to have a very comprehensive site manual perhaps some one should talk to them as well ( do they still exist?)

EH Manual and sheets are online here http://www.wikiarc.org/downloads

Matt

[Jack]

I see a future that is digital..................

With sites overlayed onto layers of digital information, aerial photographs, satellite ifra-red data, Lidar etc.
Just enter a time frame into the program and watch the layers peel back to reveal the distribution of known sites (but don't forget to check the layer showing the distribution of investigations before you start interpretation patterns.)
Each site can be clicked on to reveal a digital copy of all the reports written about it, with external links to journal entries that came up on the keyword search (Thus the researcher can follow any academic discussion arising from the site)
But for those interested in the detail can delve into the digital site archive.....the plans, the photographs...and individual context sheets.
Then from the finds link, the researcher finds themself in the virtual artefact store (virtual reality suit required - or implant for those with the money). Here they can wander the virtual aisles stacked high with 'folders' containing the digital find presences. Its a simple matter to follow the directories to find the pottery sherds from context 3339. Then the researcher can 'handle' the virtual sherds, bringing up any stored information upon cross-matches with other contexts, possible vessel reconstructions, comparisons with sherds from other sites and if lucky, a link to the kiln site where the sherd was made.
The sherd also has links to any analysis carried out upon it such as TL dating, RHX dating, thin sectioning, absorbed residue etc, etc.

And while the research travels this virtual world they store, review and collate information into a file to be taken away to form the core of their own work................


A dream? Maybe, but its the only way I can see of storing and making use of the vast data potential that is the past.

[BAJR]

Nice idea Jack... RCAHMS once trialled a version of that. though they soon realised the data storage was IMMENSE! and the intial cross referencing of everything was even more so. though - you can't use that excuse for ever, as it only gets bigger, not smaller.

In the example you could zoom in, see trenches then bring up contexts then view finds and samples from that context. and the other neat bit was temporal distribution of an artefact - where - for example a stone came from a quarry, via a workshop to a port, to another port to a site, to another site... etc.......... so tracing the origin, manufacture and use of an item. cross linked to other sites with the item, location of origins etc........... yipes!


ANYWAY

Next subject....

Taking samples? Environmental... anyone? When to take and why?

[Wax]

if used properly with library links and layers of survey info on the GIS side of it the bespoke HER( HBSMR latest version) has much of the potential to do some of this sort of thing including web page links etc. However the excuse that most HERs have is that they do not have the staff required to do the initial data input and most are running just to keep up with getting sites on the record and providing searches let alone all the fancy stuff they could do.

The data input is the key, invest in that and then enforce update and then possibly we may reach Jack's Utopia And of course you have to get past the reluctance to shar info that exists either as part of client confidentiality or academic rivalry

[Jack]

if used properly with library links and layers of survey info on the GIS side of it the bespoke HER( HBSMR latest version) has much of the potential to do some of this sort of thing including web page links etc. However the excuse that most HERs have is that they do not have the staff required to do the initial data input and most are running just to keep up with getting sites on the record and providing searches let alone all the fancy stuff they could do.

The data input is the key, invest in that and then enforce update and then possibly we may reach Jack's Utopia And of course you have to get past the reluctance to shar info that exists either as part of client confidentiality or academic rivalry

Yes, the HER are often in a shocking state, from mis-location, double, triple, quadruple entries for the same monument, questionable dating making searching by period often ridiculous. Some numbers cover a disparate group of features of differing dates..etc.
It seems that there aren't the stuff to check whats already on there either.

[Jack]

...........<snip>
ANYWAY

Next subject....

Taking samples? Environmental... anyone? When to take and why?

Where's Seedy girl when you need her?

If you ask me................depends on what question your asking............as in what is it you are digging and why.

Your sample strategy should be tailored to the project.