Recording the Evidence

Drawing scale plans

At regular stages during an archaeological excavation we stop digging and clean the site so that we can photograph and draw our excavations.

Why bother to draw when photographs are better?

Photographs show us everything and sometimes this is too much of a good thing. Depending on the lighting conditions, you find that quie regularly a photo can't differentiate between muddy but interesting stuff and plain boring old mud. The photographs are a necessary reference, but the drawings are the most important record of an excavation.

So how do you clean a muddy hole before you draw it?

Very carefully. We try and remove all the lose mud so that layers and
features show up distinctly. This ususally means a good deal of time working with a hand brush, gently flicking away as much dirt as possible. It is often rewarding to finally see a lot of detail at the same time and your understanding of the area you are working on will improve greatly.