A GUIDE TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL LABORATORY METHODOLOGIES1
CONTENTS A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
Introduction Initial Sorting Cleaning Artifacts Sorting and Re-Bagging Cataloging Conservation Boxing and Storage
A.
INTRODUCTION
Artifact analysis is the key to archaeological interpretation. In order to answer our research questions we must identify, analyze, and catalog all of the recovered artifacts with considerable detail so that we can reconstruct the age, type, social context, function, use and meaning of the materials. We will analyze materials at the feature, stratum and unit level, as well as the total assemblage, in order to determine what, how and why materials were utilized during different times by different individuals within different social contexts. Once a provenience is completely excavated and screened in the field, the artifacts are brought back to the laboratory for processing. The following steps are set forth as a general guide for processing artifact materials in the laboratory. It is extremely important that artifacts never become separated from their provenience designations. Artifacts without their contextual information lose their interpretive potential and become nothing more than pretty objects or trash. All artifact processing follows the Society for Historical Archaeology Standards and Guidelines for the Curation of Archaeological Collections.
B.
INITIAL SORTING
Artifact bags brought in from the field should be organized numerically by unit number/provenience and stored on the appropriate shelves in the wet lab. The provenience information for each bag and the artifact control card should be checked for consistency. The artifact control card must stay with the group of artifacts at all times.
1 Portions of this guide were adapted from the Society for Historical Archaeology Conservation FAQ (available at www.sha.org), “Laboratory Techniques: Directions for Washing and Tabulating WARP Material” by Gail Wagner (January 1993) and “Laboratory Manual” by Linda Carnes-McNaughton, (August 1992).
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