Page 306 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 10: Recording 285
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Figure 10.6 Temporary reconstruction of a large stoneware jar from the James Matthews wreck site. By making temporary reconstructions, it is possible to determine if any pieces are missing and initiate a search if they are. Note completed temporary reconstruction shows only small fragments missing. (Courtesy of Jon Carpenter, Department of Materials Conservation, Western Australian Maritime Museum.)
that require a special type of recording. Ship’s timber is a particular group that has a number of complex recording problems. First, the timbers should be recorded as soon after recovery as possible, because of the danger of warping, shrinkage, and cracking. There is the associated problem of working with large, heavy pieces of fragile timber that must be kept wet at all times. The timbers have to be cleaned of any dirt and loose, unimpor- tant material, then drawn and photographed; in the field, this can be a difficult and challenging project.
To record the timbers (or any other large artifact) accurately, it is best to trace the object at a scale of 1:1 Clear Mylar is preferable as a tracing material, but it is often only available in narrow widths and it is expensive. An alternative is clear polythene sheeting, which is generally available in rolls up to 2 m wide. This has two drawbacks: it is not completely transpar- ent thus obscuring details, and it is not dimensionally stable. Details on the surface including the outline, nail and bolt holes, wear marks, tooling marks,