Value and values in excavation recording

Martin LocockSenior Project Officer, Strata Florida Heritage

Landscape Tourism Project

Two observations

• Site tour – selective, opinionated, allusive, individual, speculative

• Archive – objective, structured, standardised, consistent

  © Copyright Bob Embleton and licensed for reuse 

Two observations

• Site tour – selective, opinionated, allusive, individual, speculative = interesting

• Archive – objective, structured, standardised, consistent = boring

• Significance and meaning

  © Copyright Bob Embleton and licensed for reuse 

Archaeological practice

Interesting/ useful not necessary

Interesting / useful + necessary

Not interesting / useful but necessary

Not interesting / useful and not necessary

Philosophy of recording

• Logical positivism – Measurability– Objectivity– Consistency

• Reflexive methodologies– Construction of knowledge– Surfacing assumptions and debating ideas– Embracing subjectivity

Philosophy of recording

T5 Heathrow“production of a coherent and empirically

validated site narrative remains the fundamental objective of the excavation ” John Barrett

Interpretation during excavationEntities not contextsStaff uncomfortable

UDAS

Philosophy of recording

• Single interpretation

• Recorder as surrogate for director/reader

• Value = report/archive

• Memories/experience?

• Reification of commercial practice

Lean management• Mapping work processes

• Creation of value

• Reduction of waste

• Maintenance

• Continuous improvement

Effort

• Excavation / recording £1000/dayRecording

Excavation

Admin

Value

Recording

Excavation

Admin

Excavation process

Source: S Roskams 2001 Stratigraphy

Excavation process

Source: S Roskams 2001 Stratigraphy

Excavation process

Source: S Roskams 2001 Stratigraphy

Interpretation?

Recording

• Photography

• Drawing

© Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse

Context recording

• Administration and relationships

• Description (structured)• Description (free)• Interpretation

Context recording

• Administration and relationships

• Description (structured)• Description (free)• Interpretation

Context recording

• Administration and relationships

• Description (structured)• Description (free)• Interpretation

Interpretation?

Notebook

• Meta-narrative

• High-level interpretation

• Watching briefs

• (allowed?)

• Whose interpretation?

The future

• Work that creates no value

• Work that creates limited value

• Work that creates value

• Empowerment of the primary recorder

• Engagement with process and content

• Data or meaning

ThanksP J Carne, UDAS

John Lewis, Society of Antiquaries Andrew Marvell, GGATQuentin Drew UWTSD

Martin Locock

10simplesteps.blogspot.com

m.locock@tsd.ac.uk