destructive survey, to record all relevant data for future

reference, as sites can change over time. To convince

people of the value of your conclusions it is necessary

to show the detailed results of the investigations on

which they are based.

The aim of archaeological recording is to note what is

there as accurately and completely as possible, giving

each piece of information equal weight without allowing

the interpretation of information to affect the method of

recording. Recording should be an objective process. Of

course, it is also important to know what the excavator

thought about the site as s/he recorded it – after all,

flashes of inspiration on the part of the excavator can

often explain objects and their relationships as they are

uncovered. However, such comments and ideas should be

kept separate from the data record of the site. The way

information is interpreted is likely to be affected by an indi-

vidual’s background and culture, which give everybody a

THE NEED FOR RECORDING

T

he range and quantity of data collected during an

archaeological project are vast. In order for current

and future generations to learn from archaeology,

this information must be made available to all in an

organized and accessible form. This chapter looks at the

different types of evidence likely to be encountered on an

underwater archaeological site and summarizes what to

record and how to do so. It also emphasizes the impor-

tance of choosing and maintaining an appropriate record-

ing system to keep track of all evidence and records

generated during the course of an archaeological project.

Ideally, archaeologists or their successors should be

able to ‘reconstruct’ the site from the archive (see chap-

ter 19) or records of a site. This is particularly important

after excavation, which destroys the site and prevents

future investigation. It is good discipline, even for non-

Archaeological Recording

Contents

u The need for recording

u Recording systems

u Planning the recording: what to record

u Recording information on site

u Recording timbers

u Recording contexts

u Recording stratigraphy

u Recording environmental evidence

u Recording samples

u Recording survey results

u Recording plans and sections

u Recording photographic results

u Conservation records

u Identifying archaeological material

u Tags and labelling

u Storing the information

u Computing options and issues

u Geographical information systems

u Explaining, documenting, and supervising

the system

Recording is the absolute dividing line between plundering and scientific work, between a dealer and a scholar...

The unpardonable crime in archaeology is destroying evidence which can never be recovered; and every discovery

does destroy evidence unless it is intelligently recorded. (Petrie, 1904:48)

8

Underwater Archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice Second Edition Edited by Amanda Bowens
© 2009 Nautical Archaeological Society ISBN: 978-1-405-17592-0