Description
Book SynopsisLaying the Foundations, which developed out of the British Museum’s ‘Iraq Scheme’ archaeological training programme, covers the core components for putting together and running an archaeological field programme. The focus is on practicality. Individual chapters address background research, the use of remote sensing, approaches to surface collection, excavation methodologies, survey with total (and multi) stations, use of a dumpy level, context classification, on-site recording, databases and registration, environmental protocols, conservation, photography, illustration, post-excavation site curation and report writing. While the manual is oriented to the archaeology of Iraq, the approaches are no less applicable to the Middle East more widely, an aim hugely facilitated by the open-source distribution of translations into Arabic and Kurdish.
Table of ContentsForeword ;
Preface ;
Chapter 1 Initiating a Field Project ;
Chapter 2 Documentary Research ;
Chapter 3 Regional Survey ;
Chapter 4 Satellite Imagery ;
Chapter 5 Geophysical Prospection ;
Chapter 6 Geographic Information Systems ;
Chapter 7 Survey with Total Station / Multi Station ;
Chapter 8 GPS ;
Chapter 9 Drones ;
Chapter 10 Database ;
Chapter 11 Surface Collection ;
Chapter 12 Excavation Methodology ;
Chapter 13 Context Recording ;
Chapter 14 Finds ;
Chapter 15 Burials ;
Chapter 16 The Dumpy Level ;
Chapter 17 Environmental Protocols ;
Chapter 18 Drawing Plans and Sections ;
Chapter 19 Registration ;
Chapter 20 Conservation ;
Chapter 21 Small Finds Illustration ;
Chapter 22 Ceramic Illustration ;
Chapter 23 Photography ;
Chapter 24 Photogrammetry ;
Chapter 25 Damaged and looted sites ;
Chapter 26 Site Management ;
Chapter 27 Report writing ;
Appendices: ;
Surface survey record sheet ;
Levels recording sheet ;
Context sheet ;
Burial sheet
