Page 304 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 10: Recording 283
subgroups within these types, these can be given separate categories too, for example, they could be classified separately from nonferrous and organic, respectively.
Under this system objects can then be registered using a material code prefix like stone (1), ceramic (2), nonferrous (3), miscellaneous (4), organic (5), ferrous (6); coins (7), and ship’s timbers (8). Thus, for example, the number 26711 immediately identifies the object as being a ceramic object (material code 2 = ceramic). The remaining four digits are the identification number showing where the object stands in a rough chronology of the excavation. This system has great merit as a sorting and subclassification method. It is easy to apply as it can be done on the spot without actually having to identify the object apart from its composition. There are prob- lems in deciding how to register a composite object, usually the main mate- rial type can be used to overcome this difficulty. It should be noted that it is worth starting with a five figure number because it gives the potential of 10,000 registration numbers before any change is necessary. It must be remembered that the next number after 39,999 is not necessarily 40,000, it could be 310,000 or 300,000.
Registration of large groups of similar objects can be a problem. For example, if coin, musket balls, or shot were each given a separate registra- tion number, problems in conservation could be created (imagine having to treat 10,000 lead musket balls as separate artifacts or even individually reg- ister them for that matter). It is not possible to generalize, and the decision of how to treat each problem resides with the archaeologist. But certain options can be considered. First, it is important to be able to differentiate artifacts, but this may not be absolutely necessary. Thus, 50 coins found in a group randomly in a 100-mm square area do not, initially, need to be reg- istered individually unless there is something exceptional in their spatial context. If these coins were recovered from different places on a site they would need separate registration. So there is a possibility that a large group of similar objects coming from one particular area can be given a bulk number. It may be necessary to individually record bulk-numbered objects. In such cases it will not usually be necessary to associate the object with the recorded data; e.g., the individual weights of 5000 musket balls are important, but it is unlikely that one would need to re-associate each weight with each particular item. On the other hand, it may be necessary to make a temporary identification of a bulk-numbered group of artifacts, for example, coins from one particular place, which may be individually iden- tified (e.g., seven thalers, four rixdaalders, four florins, total 15). After con- servation they may need to be re-registered separately and re-identified because the process may have revealed new information making this nec- essary. Similarly, a concretion will be given a single registration number, but