ARCHAEOLOGICALRECORDING 55
Pro-formas: To help overcome the problem of organizing
overwhelming quantities of data, it has become normal
practice to use pre-printed forms (or ‘pro-formas’) for
recording information on an archaeological site. The
recording forms are generally completed by site-workers
and each form asks the recorder questions, prompting
the recording of a consistent level of information.
Regardless of the number of pieces of information that
have to be recorded, or how many different people are
doing the recording, the same details should be noted.
Entered in an ordered, standardized manner, the infor-
mation should also be easier to consult and analyse. The
disadvantages of forms are that they require more prepa-
ration in advance and their purpose and meaning must
be clearly explained to all site-workers who will be using
them. A previously completed form can be used to pro-
vide an example of appropriate use and a set of guide-
lines to follow if any confusion or ambiguity exists
concerning the pro-forma itself. Badly filled-in forms
produce information that is as incomplete and garbled as
any single source such as a site notebook.
Not all details will need to be recorded about each
artefact or feature. An ideal form would be limited to
only those questions that are necessary. A clear and log-
ical layout for the form is important. Ideally, relevant
details will be grouped together into easily recognized
categories of evidence (e.g. context details, object details,
sample details). Specialized sheets can then be used for
recording specific categories of evidence, such as timber
(Milne et al., 1998), vessel remains on the foreshore
(Milne et al., 1998) or guns (see NAS website for record-
ing forms).
Pro-formas are also used for recording the existence,
location and relevant information relating to plans, pho-
tographs, video footage and survey information from the
site. As long as all the forms are cross-referenced, using
pro-formas makes the task of recording on site much more
manageable. However, in general, every project should also
have a general site project-book that serves as a diary,
records a variety of non-structured information, and can
be used for notes during planning. Such a book is par-
ticularly useful for noting the reasons behind decisions that
were taken and documenting non-archaeological but
significant events during a project (e.g. compressor mal-
function, personnel problems or simple flashes of inspi-
ration) which might otherwise go unrecorded.
All recording systems should be as simple and
straightforward as their purpose allows.
Archaeological dive-logs: The primary record of work
under water will be the archaeological dive-log. Dive-logs
are the primary source of first-hand observations and, as
such, will be referred to frequently during post-fieldwork
processing. They will also provide an important insight
into the effectiveness of the diving operations and the effect
of working conditions on the information recorded. It is
important to enforce the completion of dive-logs as soon
as possible after the dive. They should include informa-
tion on:- the diver (name, equipment);
- the dive (time, depth, temperature, decompression);
- the conditions (visibility, current, environment);
- the planned work (tasks, equipment);
- the results (measurements, observations, sketches,
cross-references to other records); - any thoughts on interpretation;
- any finds recovered, providing a description, a loca-
tion in a sketch, and measurements from survey
points to the object; - artefact numbers (these should be recorded on the
dive-log once the number has been assigned, whether
it is assigned on the sea-bed or at the surface).
On some sites, dive-logs are restricted to personal
diving-related information while archaeological informa-
tion is recorded on a drawing board, which may be
worked on by several people during the working day
(just like the records kept within a trench on a land exca-
vation). This means data does not have to be transcribed
or remembered.Recording objects/artefacts: It is important to keep
an open mind and record all evidence with equal care.
Animal bones, fish bones, clam shells, etc. should receive
as much attention as gold coins. It is important not to dis-
card or destroy materials/deposits simply because they do
not appear to be of immediate value. The most unattrac-
tive or unlikely items could be ancient packing materials
or the last traces of a delicate object. It is particularly import-
ant to record the associations of finds; such information
may be crucial to determining whether the material was
the contents of a container or the packing around it.
Materials relevant to such questions can be very insub-
stantial, so all details observed must be recorded, even
if their true significance is not yet understood. Even
discoloration on an artefact can indicate the previous
presence of something else that has since eroded away.
For example, the presence of a black ‘inky’ staining or
residue on an artefact might indicate the presence of
gunpowder nearby. Or a white layer of sediment on
wood might be the remains of a whitewash.
The ways in which objects can be recorded in detail once
on the surface are described in chapter 18 and the appen-
dices. However, it is often not necessary to raise objects
to record them properly. Guns, structural features and even
pottery fragments have been effectively recorded in situ
without damage to the site and the subsequent risk of