182 POST-FIELDWORKANALYSIS AND ARCHIVING
measured, quantified and objective observations.
Interpretation can be defined as using a set of
observations to support a conclusion; it can very
rarely prove a point beyond any doubt.- The way evidence is collected and analysed, the
strategy employed, the reasons for it, along with the
success or failure of the techniques used, are of
interest and should be recorded. Such information
may help others plan their work and will enable
more effective assessment of the validity of any
conclusions drawn.
HANDLING MATERIAL AND KEEPING RECORDS
If material is brought to the surface during a project,
it should already have been recorded to some extent in
situ(chapter 8). Its position relative to other material,
its context and its position relative to site control points
will have been noted and drawn on a site-plan. Photo-
graphs may also have been taken before, during and
after lifting (chapter 10). Limited visibility or a rescue
scenario are not acceptable excuses for poor standards
or lack of recording. The information is there, and it is
the responsibility of the archaeologists to recognize and
record it.
Once the material is on the surface, there is an oppor-
tunity to undertake more detailed recording than is usu-
ally possible under water. It is important to consider that
material that has not been conserved can be unstable
and fragile. Recording and analysis can involve a lot of
handling and movement of an object from place to place.
During any pre-conservation recording and study, it is
an imperative to keep handling to an absolute minimum
and avoid exposing the material to dramatic changes
of environment.
The importance of ensuring that any material remains
are securely identified, with the number assigned dur-
ing the initial recording process, has been emphasized
already (chapter 8). During the post-fieldwork process-
ing phase, objects and samples may be moved from place
to place and examined by many different people, some
of whom will be less careful than others in terms of
putting things back where they found them. It is there-
fore important to make sure that everyone handling
material is aware of the need to avoid detaching or defac-
ing labels. A specifically appointed finds-assistant can
be very helpful in ensuring that the material and the
written record remain connected. It may be useful, if
material is likely to be moved to a number of different
places, to devise a system for keeping track of changes
of location. In this way it will be possible to track past
locations and current whereabouts.
POST-FIELDWORK TREATMENT OF SURVEY
WORK
Maps, plans, and sections: Survey work on and off site
is likely to have produced a large amount of information
that must be processed and prepared either for publica-
tion or the archive. The methods used for obtaining and
plotting survey results are covered in chapter 14. This
discussion focuses on ordering the records and preparing
them for future use, analysis and archiving. The follow-
ing types of survey drawing are typically found in an archive
or report (figure 19.1):- location maps;
- site-plans showing archaeological, topographic and
environmental features; and - sections and profiles.
Figure 19.1 A plan chest is an ideal way to store plans and
drawings. They can be laid flat and inspected with ease.
Variants in which drawings are suspended from racks are
also available. (Photo: Mary Rose Trust)