Interpreting Stratigraphy Group

NEWS - ABOUT US - ABOUT OUR WEBSITE

Last updated  7 April 2002

* NEWS *

New Interpreting-Strat mailing list launched via jiscmail.ac.uk
For more details visit our Discussion page 
which has information how to join, leave, browse and search 
the Interpreting-Strat mailing list.

The most recent meeting of the Interpreting Stratigraphy Group 
was held in York on the 29th September 2001.
The subject of the meeting was:

Contemporary Approaches to Archaeological Fieldwork: 
Theory vs. Practice, Democracy vs. Hierarchy

For further details click here.

ABOUT US

The ‘Interpreting Stratigraphy’ group, the brainchild of Kate Steane, came together in 1992 to organise a dynamic series of conferences characterised by informal presentation and lively debate. Our initial interest lay with site recording systems and data analysis, focussing on: 

  • context/soil deposit descriptions
  • definition of features and interfaces or other truncations
  • storage of stratigraphic data in Harris matrices and other forms
  • data manipulation during post-excavation, phasing work
  • integration of stratigraphic and finds work to tackle residuality and establish dated chronologies 
However, subsequently, related topics have come equally to the fore: 
  • site formation processes and micromorphology
  • site reconnaissance and evaluation
  • standing building and burial recording
  • archival issues and dissemination mechanisms
The diversity of contributions to our meetings reflects, we hope, the increasing collaboration between stratigraphers and other specialists which a holistic approach to site interpretation and publication demands. By disseminating expertise and experience in all these spheres, we hope to encourage the innovation, development and wider application of archaeological methods. 

ABOUT THIS WEBSITE

Our website is designed to:

  • list the organising members (Committee)
  • make available out-of-print publications from previous conferences (Publications - the Help page gives details of their structure and should overcome any problems with downloading)
  • facilitate broader Discussion of issues surrounding archaeological stratigraphy
  • let you know of forthcoming meetings and publications (Events)
  • provide Links to other websites which, we feel, are of related interest
  • allow you to Search our site to find out if your own specialist interest appears here
Steve Roskams (email: spr1@york.ac.uk) initiated the development of the web site. 

It is designed and maintained by Maria Beck.

Funding for the development of the site was provided by English Heritage.

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