Page 226 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

reports; and permits comparison of the proposed research with the results. It equally specifies the selection of methods and techniques of study and provides a comparative framework for evaluating and deciding the relative efficiency of alternatives. Last but not least, it specifies how the information is made available to others, to other professionals and the public.
Standards of archaeological
documentation
The documentation programme must follow the acknowledged standards of archaeological docu- mentation. Moreover, it should be tailored to the specific project objectives. All observations that are relevant for the site’s interpretation or future management should be documented and archived. The following guidelines apply:
• the goals of the documentation shall corres- pond to the goals of the project specified in the project design and to the needs identified for the relevant historic or prehistoric contexts;
• the selection of methods of documentation shall be coherent with the information sought;
• the possible results of documentation shall be assessed against the objectives and this analysis shall be integrated into the planning process;
• the results of documentation shall be reported and disseminated to the public and necessary measures shall be taken accordingly; and
• the documentation shall be conducted under the supervision of qualified professionals in the disciplines appropriate to the data that are to be recovered. When non-professionals are involved in documenting activities (for instance volunteers), provisions should be made for training and supervision by qualified professionals.
The documentation programme must take specific
data needs into account, as well as the time and 225
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Documentation