I.2 Management of the Ceramics during Fieldwork

Saskia Buechner-Matthews et Valentina Vezzoli

p. 14-16


Texte intégral

1One of the main objectives of the recording process is to gather as much information as possible with regards to the provenance: correlating the composition and context of the ceramic assemblage. Often archaeologists only return to study materials years later and it is therefore of the utmost importance that the information thereon be stored and archived in the best possible manner.

2The first step takes place in the field: ceramics from each layer should be placed in separate buckets/boxes/bags which must be identified using clearly written tags which must include all relevant information: e.g. the site code, the year of excavation, the sector or area, the stratigraphic unit or context of excavation, etc. It is also quite common to add a specific date of excavation. Sunlight can destroy the ink pigments (including markers, ballpoint pens, etc.), rendering the tags useless. The best choice is to use a lead pencil, which does not blur when in contact with moisture.

3When the material arrives at the dig house or wherever the ceramic processing is to be carried out, a preliminary assessment should take place. If time is an issue, safe storage of all associated material, including labels, should be undertaken.

4Washing should not be undertaken just to clean the material as this could cause loss of valuable information (Orton et al. 1993, pp. 51-52). The material should firstly be thoroughly assessed, and a selection made of material not to be washed. This should include pottery with painted decoration, food residues, plaster or soot. It is preferable to leave the cleaning thereof to an expert.

5After careful and delicate washing, it is highly recommended to ensure that all provenance labels are safely secured alongside the relevant pottery, and if the finds are left outside to take extra care to prevent the label from blowing away and thus the pottery getting mixed up with other contexts. Placing tape on the sorting tables, around each individual assemblage, is advised and it also enables additional writing or notes to be added to the tape.

6It is quite common to commence the recording, sorting and quantification of an assemblage from a single context as a first step before it has even been inventoried. These actions can include preliminary sorting—including counting rims, handles, bases and body sherds—into defined established groups (see Section iii.1). Occasionally, the weight of an assemblage is also used as a quantification factor. Later on, more detailed recording will provide preliminary interpretations of the assemblage, including:

  • the function: cooking ware, storage jars, tableware, etc. (see Section ii.2);

  • the fabric: beige ware, red ware, siliceous or others (see Section ii.3);

  • the type: a bowl, pot, jar, plate or maybe imports such as amphora, sigillata etc. (see Section iii.4).

7Following the reviewing, selecting, washing, refit assessment and quantification process, some of the material (such as non-informational body sherds) can be discarded.

8On completion of the above, the inventory (see Section iii.3) can take place, as well as a primary evaluation of where to place vessels within the chrono-typology or form catalogue (see Sections iii.2. and v.1).

9Another useful reference tool to aid future study of the assemblage is to take photographs of material from the complete context before putting it into storage. The assemblage should then be stored together (e.g. in plastic bags with a more detailed written label (see Section i.3). To avoid any possible loss of provenance, a very useful safety measure is to place a label both inside and outside the container comprising additional information concerning the contents.

Context Management Form

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Persistent identifier: https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.eed36twu.
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