Page 35 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

14 Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook, Second Edition
studied, and curated. It is important to understand that the process of plan- ning and implementing fieldwork has to be considered together with the post-fieldwork research as an overall project. Every project should begin with a planning phase where the scope of the project, the methods of survey, excavation, sampling and recording methods, and strategies should be assessed. At the end of this phase a plan or research design, as it is some- times called, should be prepared. This should summarize the following types of information:
• The objectives, which should include the reasons for doing the project and the archaeological problems the work will be addressing
• The methods, including the way that the archaeological problems will be dealt with and the methods of gathering the data; the logistics relating to how the fieldwork will be implemented and staffed
• The background data which consist of all available information which can be used to assist in the logistics and in the implementation of the project; the conservation strategies relating to how material that may be recovered should be handled and treated
• The identification of the storage or repository for the material
• The strategy for postexcavation research and publication
The preparation of this plan is essential and for many grant-providing organizations it is a prerequisite in the application process (for example, see English Heritage, 1989).
Other forms of research may be used to establish a site management program, catalogs of sites, or a theoretical framework related to archaeo- logical site research. These latter areas of study, where discussion relates to the synthesis of information, are dealt with in Chapter 13.
II. ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
There are no shortcuts in archival research. Many long hours may be spent working in archives or reading through literature to find what one seeks. Depending on your approach to the subject, this can be an exciting or a tedious pastime. In this section some brief notes are given on the various aspects of archival research.
Starting at the bottom line, how does one institute research, say, to locate or identify a shipwreck? Obviously the methods will vary depending on the nature of the loss. The main objective, however, is to find some source of information that will give details related to the event that will help to locate the site or at the very least, provide some background knowledge. Records of shipwrecks, because they involve the loss of property and sometimes life,