64 ARCHAEOLOGICALRECORDING
- Pull-down menus in a database help to standardize
descriptions and avoid spelling mistakes – a database
search will only produce a list of, for example, all
the pocket sundials, if they are all described in an
identical way, including correct spelling.
While the recording side of any archaeological project
can at times seem tedious and daunting, it is important
to remember how both the accuracy and thorough-
ness of such records can provide an enormous payback
when the project reaches publication stage. Only with
meticulous attention to detail and a well-designed, well-
managed and well-maintained recording system will
it be possible for research to be recognized, validated,
and presented to the academic world to a high professional
standard.Further Information
Archaeology Data Service, Department of Archaeology,
University of York, King’s Manor, York, YO1 7EP.
Telephone: +44 (0)1904 433954; fax: +44 (0)1904 433939;
e-mail: [email protected]; website: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/.
Dinacauze, D. F., 2000, Environmental Archaeology, Principles
and Practice. Cambridge.
Harris, E. C., 1989 (2nd edn), Principles of Archaeological
Stratigraphy. London.
Institute of Field Archaeologists, 2007, Draft Standard and
Guidance for Nautical Archaeological Recording and Recon-
struction. Reading (www.archaeologists.net).
Petrie, W. M. F., 1904, Methods and Aims in Archaeology,
London.
Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P., 2004 (4th edn), Archaeology:
Theories, Methods and Practice. London.
Spence, C. (ed.), 1994 (3rd edn), Archaeological Site Manual.
London.
RECORDING SYSTEMS
English Heritage National Monuments Record Thesauri (on-line):
http://thesaurus.english-heritage.org.uk/
Gawronski, J. H. G., 1986, Amsterdam Project: Annual Report
of the VOC-Ship Amsterdam Foundation 1985. Amsterdam.
Milne, G., McKewan, C. and Goodburn, D., 1998, Nautical
Archaeology on the Foreshore: Hulk Recording on the Medway.
RCHM, Swindon.RECORDING CONTEXTS
English Heritage, 2004a, Geoarchaeology: Using Earth Sciences
to Understand the Archaeological Record. London. (www.
english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Geoarchaeology-2007.
pdf )
Hodgson, J. M. (ed.), 1997 (3rd edn), Soil Survey Field
Handbook. Soil Survey Technical Monograph No. 5.
Harpenden, UK.COMPUTERS AS PART OF THE RECORDING
SYSTEM
Conolly, J. and Lake, M., 2006, Geographical Information
Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge.
Eiteljork II, H., Fernie, K., Huggett, J., and Robinson, D., 2003,
CAD: A Guide to Good Practice.Oxford.
Fletcher, M. and Locke, G., 2005 (2nd edn), Digging Numbers:
Elementary Statistics for Archaeologists. Oxford.
Wheatley, D. and Gillings, M., 2002, Spatial Technology and
Archaeology: the Archaeological Application of GIS. London.