1.4 Recording today

Excavation unavoidably destroys the archaeological build-up. Apart from recording structures and collecting finds, much can be learned from the deposits surrounding the finds and from the relationship of these contexts to each other. The aim therefore is to record all archaeological 'events' defined as 'contexts' in stratigraphic order down to the uppermost geological (natural) deposit at the bottom of a trench. The boundary of an archaeological event is marked by the change of the physical (visible) nature of a deposit. This change can normally be described in detail and distinguished as part of natural and/or man-made accumulation.

The field record therefore is based on observation. The chemical processes are not immediately obvious, they depend on natural causes such as weathering and decomposition, they can be suggested on site but are analysed in laboratories. It is my opinion that first a basic frame of site records must be established (with stratigraphic relationships) before any specialist work can refine the understanding of the sequence. A careful description of context composition, fabric and structure is of greatest importance. We should also think about the source, process of deposition and modification on site, as recommended by a sedimentologist (Carter forthcoming) because specialists depend strongly on the site record and will only be able to enhance it. However, bear in mind that in deep and complicated stratigraphy a site interpretation for process of deposition may often change after stratigraphic analysis of the sequence from the bottom up in the order deposits once accumulated, because deposits here are often recycled.

If geomorphological samples were analysed they will probably arrive with a specialist report and should be kept in a separate chapter of the report. The sample will probably reflect post-positional changes and could be included at a later stage, when discussing site formation a higher level of interpretation.