188 POST-FIELDWORKANALYSIS AND ARCHIVING
the information has to survive intact. Complete archives
can be bulky and contain a wide range of materials,
including paper, video film, conserved finds and samples.
An environment suitable for one type of material may not
ensure the survival of another, and, if the archive is split
between locations for this reason, then very clear records
of what is stored, and where, should be kept at each loca-
tion. Particular attention should be paid to the safety of
computerized records stored on disk as part of the
archive, as well as their accessibility, owing to changing
technology. Dust, humidity and direct heat will cause
severe problems for such records. As stated earlier,
arrangement of suitable storage space for this corpus of
information should be addressed at the project-planning
stage. Museums are sometimes willing to store site
archives, but often only when they have had a direct
involvement in the project.
Attention should also be paid to the materials used to
create and store the archive. Some tissue papers are
acidic and will eventually damage artefacts packed in
them. Some slide-holders can also cause deterioration in
transparencies over time, although ‘archive quality’ variants
are available. Videotape and digital media are currently
thought to survive reasonably well, though it is not a good
idea to skimp on quality of things such as videotape or
CDs. The provision of suitable packing and storage
materials for the archive should be considered when
planning the costs of the project because ‘archive quality’
materials are not cheap.Figure 19.6 All of the Mary Rosefinds are recorded on a
card-file system, which pre-dates the use of computers
in archaeology. There are in excess of 30,000 cards.
Everything from initial identification, through every process
(photography, radiography, conservation, illustration, etc.),
is recorded on the cards, which are kept in a controlled and
secure environment and updated regularly. While a com-
puterized system now exists, the card-file index is still
active. (Photo: Mary Rose Trust)
such a case, the site will have been as effectively lost as if
it had been destroyed by dredging or treasure-hunting.
Since the aim of archaeology is to gather information
for the use of future generations, it stands to reason that
Further Information
Brown, D. H., 2007, Archaeological Archives: A Guide to Best Prac-
tice in Creation, Compilation, Transfer and Curation. Archae-
ological Archives Forum (www.archaeologists.net/modules/
icontent/inPages/docs/pubs/Archives_Best_Practice.pdf ).
Brown, A. and Perrin, K., 2000, A Model for the Description of
Archaeological Archives. English Heritage (www.eng-h.gov.
uk/archives/archdesc.pdf ).
English Heritage, 1991, Management of Archaeological Projects
(MAP2). London (www.eng-h.gov.uk/guidance/map2/
index.htm).
English Heritage, 2006c, MoRPHE Technical Guide: Digital
Archiving and Digital Dissemination.London.
Institute of Field Archaeologists, forthcoming, Standard and
Guidance for the Creation, Compilation, Transfer and
Deposition of Archaeological Archives.
Perrin, K., 2002, Archaeological Archives: Documentation,
Access and Deposition: A Way Forward. English Heritage,
London (www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/archives.
PDF).
Richards, J. and Robinson, D. (eds), 2000 (2nd edn),
Digital Archives from Excavation and Fieldwork: A Guide
to Good Practice. Archaeological Data Service, Oxford
(http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/goodguides/excavation/).