24th July 2013, 02:25 PM
Lesson 10 The context-led recording syste[SIZE=3][SIZE=4]m: Subsection 1 Numbers are important
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4][SIZE=2]
The whole process of recording archaeology is meant to be a systematic process of numbering, drawing, photographing and cross-referencing designed to produce a coherent, understandable and accurate record of the remains of past activity.
The combined records, artefacts and ecofacts is called an archive. In a well-recorded archive, a researcher can go from any one element, be it a photograph, sherd of pottery, flot or section drawing to every other part of the archive that is related via the context number and catalogues.
If this is unclear, here is an example.....
Researcher D(ino) is reading a publication report of an important site and he happens to have the site archive on a desk next to him.
D: 'What? What? That's obviously wrong......the fools. Sounds like that so-called grub-hut is actually a neolithic house......'
D uses the context number mentioned in the publication to find the relevant plans and sections and pours over them for clues. He then looks at a series of photographs take during the excavation of the feature (finding them from the cross-referencing on the context sheets and catalogues) which seem to confirm his suspicions. Finally he digs out the pottery from the lower fills of the features (using section drawings and/or context sheets, the finds assemblage catalogue and summary sheets). He lays out all the bags of pottery from the feature and nods.
'Yep, thought so, Grimston ware.....Well ordered archive though. Good job guys'
Now the obvious lesson here is on site, under pressure to get a job finished in biblical weather it is very difficult to cross every t and dot every i in the records. Are you sure the context number you just wrote on that bag is correct? Will the number rub off in transit? Can whoever washes and re-bags the finds read the number?
It is the responsibility of the digger to get the context numbers right, to fill in the catalogues FULLY and correctly. It's easy to 'forget' bits of cross-referencing, but take responsibility. Check your own work, go back and fill in missing plan numbers on the context sheet etc.....
It is the responsibility of the supervisors to check the archive cross-referencing. It's a massive job, better to do it as your going on, but once everything is check and cross referenced its much easier to spot the unavoidable mistakes.........and there will be mistakes.
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4][SIZE=2]
The whole process of recording archaeology is meant to be a systematic process of numbering, drawing, photographing and cross-referencing designed to produce a coherent, understandable and accurate record of the remains of past activity.
The combined records, artefacts and ecofacts is called an archive. In a well-recorded archive, a researcher can go from any one element, be it a photograph, sherd of pottery, flot or section drawing to every other part of the archive that is related via the context number and catalogues.
If this is unclear, here is an example.....
Researcher D(ino) is reading a publication report of an important site and he happens to have the site archive on a desk next to him.
D: 'What? What? That's obviously wrong......the fools. Sounds like that so-called grub-hut is actually a neolithic house......'
D uses the context number mentioned in the publication to find the relevant plans and sections and pours over them for clues. He then looks at a series of photographs take during the excavation of the feature (finding them from the cross-referencing on the context sheets and catalogues) which seem to confirm his suspicions. Finally he digs out the pottery from the lower fills of the features (using section drawings and/or context sheets, the finds assemblage catalogue and summary sheets). He lays out all the bags of pottery from the feature and nods.
'Yep, thought so, Grimston ware.....Well ordered archive though. Good job guys'
Now the obvious lesson here is on site, under pressure to get a job finished in biblical weather it is very difficult to cross every t and dot every i in the records. Are you sure the context number you just wrote on that bag is correct? Will the number rub off in transit? Can whoever washes and re-bags the finds read the number?
It is the responsibility of the digger to get the context numbers right, to fill in the catalogues FULLY and correctly. It's easy to 'forget' bits of cross-referencing, but take responsibility. Check your own work, go back and fill in missing plan numbers on the context sheet etc.....
It is the responsibility of the supervisors to check the archive cross-referencing. It's a massive job, better to do it as your going on, but once everything is check and cross referenced its much easier to spot the unavoidable mistakes.........and there will be mistakes.
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]