Archaeology: Hidden treasure - Grey Literature

[BAJR]

I would say widening parameters, due to the factoid that
a) the first and only person who has a chance to provide that information that goes into the grey lit... is the fieldworker... the specialist, and therefore must be able to do a 99.9% factual account... admit where they are not sure and doubly admit when they got it wrong. Otherwise the office staff are working with flawed data, and no ammount of fiddling and tweaking will sort it.

Mix up dress patterns for example, and no matter how hard you try you will always always end up with a Lady |Gaga outfit rather than the intended twin set and pearls. (hmmm now I have a strange look in my eye!)

The grey leteratures origins are in that ditch that is operated on by the fieldworker. - if that makes sense

[Dinosaur]

Just checking.....Gaga, mmmmmm :p

[Jack]

I would say widening parameters, due to the factoid that
a) the first and only person who has a chance to provide that information that goes into the grey lit... is the fieldworker... the specialist, and therefore must be able to do a 99.9% factual account... admit where they are not sure and doubly admit when they got it wrong. Otherwise the office staff are working with flawed data, and no ammount of fiddling and tweaking will sort it.

I agree heartilly, it would be great if all context sheets had a measure of the excavators confidence of their results on there as a rough statement of errors.
Alternatively I try and look at every section on a site (not always possible on a pipeline though) as its being dug and ask the digger how confident they are. In that way at least you get a bit more information to help in post-ex when things don't add up.
It's funny how its often easier to see some relationships on first glance at a clean section, relationships that the digger had missed, possible from being too close to the data?

[Dinosaur]

....it would be great if all context sheets had a measure of the excavators confidence of their results on there as a rough statement of errors....

How's this going to help with the proportion of 'parallel universe' context sheets that seem to crop up in most large archives? Surely the 'level of confidence' is going to come from the same place as the rest of the fantasy?

[Jack]

Even a parallel universe context sheet can have the words.....unclear edge or horizon....or I overcut it because it was raining very hard on it.

[Dinosaur]

Unfortunately the fantasists tend to have a very clear idea of where their vision is taking them, so rarely include vague stuff like that, think you're referring to the merely inexperienced or mystified (or wet)?