Archive

Every archaeological project must produce a stable, ordered, accessible archive and transfer it to a curated collection for long-term storage and access in accordance with the Standard and guidance for the creation, compilation, transfer and deposition of archaeological archives (CIfA 2014b). Those engaged in the recovery, processing, assessment, recording, analysis and/or reporting of pottery assemblages should ensure that the archival integrity of the material is maintained in accordance with national and local standards and the requirements of the project. That applies equally to digital and documentary material and to the pottery and associated specimens (eg thin-sections).

The pottery assemblage is one component of a larger project archive that as a whole will be subject to recognised standards and requirements for management and compilation (see Brown 2011; Perrin 2014; CIfA 2014b). Those standards should be used to inform project planning and the subsequent treatment of all potential archive components, including pottery and associated documents and digital material (see the Toolkit for Managing Digital Data (Dig Digital).

Selection is an important part of the creation and compilation of an archive – see the Toolkit for Selecting Archaeological Archives. It is the process of deciding which components of the documentary and material elements are to be retained for curation. This can result in omitting certain items from the archive, such as duplicates of digital files, or some unstratified objects. It is not the function of this Toolkit to describe the creation and development of a selection strategy, nor to state categorically what pottery finds can or cannot be excluded from selection. Selection should be based, however, on the premise that every pottery find has the potential to inform future research and a strong case has to be made for not selecting pottery for archive. Pottery specialists are able to inform the selection process, and it is important to consult them, but their role is essentially to report on an assemblage to the best of their abilities, in the knowledge that future researchers will be able to revisit and reinterpret the material they have studied. It is therefore advised that in most cases, pottery that has been analysed, or has the potential to reward analysis or re-analysis, should be selected for archive. Any decisions on selection made throughout the life cycle of the project should be recorded in line with the Toolkit for Selecting Archaeological Archives.

The principles described in this section of the Toolkit apply to all archaeological archives but are worth considering here in relation to pottery.

Archiving is a continuous process throughout the course of a project and includes activities, such as cleaning and marking, that take place at different times but with the long-term aim of ensuring the security and accessibility of the material in long-term curation. Archiving requirements can therefore follow the same structure as a project and are thus arranged here under the headings of 'Project planning, data-gathering and recording', 'Reporting', and 'Archive compilation and transfer'.

Project planning, data-gathering and recording

Project planning

As described in Project planning, the key to successful archiving is to address the issue at the project planning stage. It is then that recovery and recording methodologies, selection strategies, data management plans and repository requirements should be agreed and understood, incorporated into project designs and transmitted to specialists.

Collection and processing

Follow agreed standards, methods and materials for the recovery, cleaning, marking/labelling, packing and documentation of pottery, as set out in the sections on Collection and Processing.

Recording

The recording stage is one where pottery can be sent to a variety of different specialists in several locations. It is important that this is managed to ensure the ongoing stability and security of the material and the successful collection and integration of the results.

1. Document the movement of pottery to ensure that its whereabouts is known at all times
2. Ensure that specialists and scientific analysts comply with recognised standards of object care
3. Ensure type series and specimens created during analysis are included in the project archive
4. Entrust the task of transporting pottery only to project staff or professional carriers qualified in the movement of fragile goods
5. Submit all records and reports created during analysis, both physical and digital, for inclusion in the project archive – see the Toolkit for Managing Digital Data (Dig Digital) for more information

Reporting

Specialist pottery reports often take one of two forms. One is a separate document written by the analyst as a full description and interpretation of the data they have collected, the other is a chapter or section within a larger project report, often accompanied by drawings and photographs. Sometimes the full specialist report is incorporated into the project report; sometimes it is abbreviated or re-written. If a report is edited or rewritten, it should be approved by the original author before publication/dissemination.

In either case it is highly likely that the full specialist report has been created digitally and it should be included in the project’s digital archive to remain accessible for further study. The location of these reports should be signposted in the publication, especially if the reports have been heavily abstracted. Project managers, or post-excavation managers, should ensure that external specialists submit all their data, associated glossaries or keys, versions of their report and any other relevant material.

Archive components resulting from the reporting stage that should be incorporated into the project archive include

1. a clean copy of the data recorded by the specialist; this will usually be in the form of a digital file, either a spreadsheet or database
2. a concordance of all the codes used during recording and their meanings
3. the metadata associated with the recording form (ie description of fields used, etc)
4. selected copies of drafts, together with the final version, of the full specialist report; it is worth considering retaining some early draft reports if these further illuminate the process of arriving at the final interpretations
5. original versions of all drawings, which are likely to be in ink, on card or film; these should be included in the documentary archive
6. original versions of all photographs: negatives or transparencies will be incorporated into the documentary archive, but most publication photographs are now likely to be digital, and the original file (check format with repository), should be included in the digital archive; it is not acceptable to assume that photographs incorporated into document files, such as .pdfs, will be archived in that form
7. the publication version of the specialist report, especially if this has been created as a separate file for later incorporation into the final project report

Archive compilation and transfer

Compilation

This is the stage when documentary material and finds are packed and the digital archive organised for transfer to an archive repository. This will usually be carried out to standards that should have been agreed during project planning. The principal tasks are usually to

1. ensure that archive selection of finds, documents and digital files has been completed in accordance with the selection strategy and the requirements of archive repositories; the aim is to create an archive that will inform future study
2. ensure finds are packed by contextual unit, in secure bags that contain rot-proof labels marked with the site and contextual unit identifiers
3. ensure boxes of the size required by the repository are used and labelled in accordance with their system
4. ensure finds are boxed in contextual unit identifier order
5. ensure specimens created for scientific analysis (eg thin-section slides) are included in the archive, or their location (eg in a laboratory instead of a museum store) is fully documented
6. establish whether or not it is required that illustrated or scientifically analysed specimens are boxed separately, and respond accordingly
7. compile a box list to enable access to particular finds
8. compile hard copy documents by type (record sheets, indexes, etc) and bundle them in a logical order (eg arrange individual record sheets in order of contextual unit)
9. box documents by type in boxes of the size required by the repository
10. order photographic items in a logical and accessible way (eg by photographic index number)
11. use recognised archival materials for the packing and storage of photographic materials, including prints, negatives and transparencies, as specified in national and international standards
12. ensure the archive includes indexes to all the documentary material and an overall contents list
13. ensure all digital data has been cleaned to be consistent and free from error
14. ensure all digital files are named in accordance with the convention agreed in the data management plan
15. follow the requirements of the data management plan (see the Toolkit for Managing Digital Data (Dig Digital)) in ordering digital material in a clearly identified and accessible directory structure
16. compile a digital archive index to accompany the digital archive
17. ensure the digital archive is included for submission to the Trusted Digital Repository by whatever transfer method identified in project planning in line with what is specified by the repository

Archive transfer

It is most likely that the entire project archive will be transferred together, and the pottery, with associated records, will be a component of that. In all cases, however, archive transfer should be pre-arranged with the repository and carried out by project staff or recognised professional carriers who specialise in the delivery of fragile goods for museum collections.