What recording system do you prefer?

[beamo]

I think that there is a little bit of confusion here between Single Context Recording (where each context is given a number, but plans / sections etc show one or more contexts as appropriate) and Single Context Planning (as pioneered by MoLAS for use in deep urban strat., and where each context is recorded on a separate plan sheet and then overlaid to produce a composite).

Single Context Recording is the most widely used recording system in the UK, with a considerable amount of variation from unit to unit.

Single Context Planning can be useful in dealing with deep urban strat., especially if there are inexperienced diggers on site, but is not really very useful for other types of site. I found that the main problem with Single Context Planning was that diggers who had been trained only in this method were unable to easily adapt to Single Context Recording and the use of multi-context plans and phased excavation.

I also think that Single Context Planning is a step along the road to reducing diggers to 'technicians' as the excavation and recording is broken down to its most basic components. Perhaps the success of the Framework Archaeology approach was partially a backlash against this.


Beamo