01
Front
Why are archaeological field records essential?
Back
Excavation changes or removes the deposits and features being studied, so field records preserve evidence that may otherwise be lost.
Free Online Flashcard Deck
4 Field Documentation and Recording Free Online FlashCards
Study 4 Field Documentation and Recording with 12 free online flashcards. Review key terms, definitions, and concepts with this interactive flashcard deck.
12 cards
02
Front
What is an archaeological context?
Back
A context is an individual stratigraphic unit, such as a deposit, a cut, or a built feature.
03
Front
What is the difference between a plan and a section?
Back
A plan shows remains from above; a section shows a vertical face through deposits or a feature.
04
Front
What complementary purposes do overview and close-view photographs serve?
Back
Overview images show the setting and spatial relationships; close views document specific archaeological details.
05
Front
What is a datum in archaeological spatial control?
Back
A datum is a known reference point used to establish elevation.
06
Front
What makes a collected archaeological sample traceable?
Back
Record what was sampled, its location, amount, and purpose; assign a unique identifier and cross-reference it to context and location records.
07
Front
How do registers and identifiers make a field archive usable?
Back
Maintain registers for contexts, drawings, photographs, finds, and samples; use unique identifiers and cross-references to connect records.
08
Front
How does single-context recording identify each unit?
Back
In single-context recording, each stratigraphic unit receives its own unique identifier and is recorded separately.
09
Front
How should a context record distinguish observation from interpretation?
Back
Record directly observed characteristics first, then state interpretations separately and support them with evidence. Note uncertainty rather than presenting a tentative identification as fact.
10
Front
Which stratigraphic relationships belong on a context sheet?
Back
Record what a context overlies, underlies, or cuts to document its stratigraphic relationships.
11
Front
What information helps make a field drawing interpretable?
Back
Identify the context and include interpretive information such as scale, orientation, drawing number, and project reference.
12
Front
What information should a photo log connect to each image?
Back
Link each image to its file name or number, date, photographer, subject, location, and direction of view.
Related study packs and tools
- Quiz
01 The Ancient Mediterranean: Geography, Sources, and Chronology
Explore how geography, chronology, evidence, and networks shaped the diverse societies of the ancient Mediterranean.
- Study guide
03 The Greek Polis and the Archaic Age
Trace how Greek communities developed into independent poleis and compare the distinct political and social paths of Sparta and Athens during the Archaic Age.
- Flashcards
03 The Scientific Revolution
Review how new methods, discoveries, and debates transformed European understandings of nature during the Scientific Revolution.
- Study guide
3 Theories of International Relations
Compare major theories of international relations and learn how each explains power, cooperation, identity, and global inequality.
- Study guide
04 Greek Politics and Warfare in the Classical Age
Compare political power and citizenship in Athens and Sparta, then trace how the Persian Wars and rival alliances shaped Greek warfare and the Peloponnesian War.
- Study guide
05 Greek Religion, Society, and Culture
Explore how religion, philosophy, performance, art, architecture, and social life shaped diverse ancient Greek communities.
- Study guide
06 Macedon and the Hellenistic Mediterranean
Trace Macedon’s rise, Alexander’s conquests, the competing successor kingdoms, and the political, social, religious, and artistic connections that shaped the Hellenistic Mediterranean.
- Quiz
8 Political Parties
A medium-difficulty quiz on the roles, organization, systems, and trade-offs of political parties.
- Quiz
08 Rome’s Mediterranean Expansion and Republican Crisis
A medium-difficulty quiz on Rome's Mediterranean expansion, provincial government, and the pressures that destabilized the Republic.
- Study guide
08 Rome’s Mediterranean Expansion and Republican Crisis
Trace how Rome’s Mediterranean conquests expanded its power and strained Republican institutions, from the Punic Wars to Augustus’s new political settlement.
- Quiz
10 Roman Society, Religion, and Economy
A medium-difficulty quiz on Roman religion, social relationships, labor, trade, and urban life.
- Quiz
11 Roman Culture and Mediterranean Exchange
A medium-difficulty quiz on how Roman literature, art, architecture, and exchange reflected both shared imperial connections and local traditions.