Page 291 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Arrangements should guarantee that all vital information is registered according to a consistent method throughout all stages, and that the systems chosen are compatible with archiving constraints that may exist.
A central part of the project archives will
contain documentation of archaeological research which will be substantial and composed of a great number of elements. In
line with the experience of other projects and
the way the archaeological profession has progressed, it is therefore not acceptable to postpone selecting the method of archiving
until the process of research or excavation
is underway. It is evident that sometimes
new elements will be developed during the course of a project, as for instance, a backup for a system that is not completely reliable. However, improvisation should be limited to exceptional cases and should not become the rule. Drawing on previous knowledge and past experience, the choice of methodology must ensure that a project’s stable, orderly and accessible archives can be assimilated easily into the collections of recognized repositories.
The need for project archives
Archaeological archives are an essential element of archaeological research. They represent a unique source of information on the site concerned. With regard to sites that have been disturbed or excavated, future generations are denied the opportunity to study the evidence in situ and therefore the archives are the only trace that remains. For this reason, the full results of the intervention must be deposited for posterity in the archives.
The documentation of an archaeological project can be very extensive. In an underwater project, the documentation should be more, rather than less, extensive than the documentation of an archaeological project on land. The risks of interruption because of bad weather and other causes are greater. As a consequence, it is better not to take any risk with
© Hampshire and Wight
Trust for Maritime Archaeology. Julie Satchell and Paul Donohue studying the archives of the protected wreck site of the warship Hazardous, United Kingdom. Archaeological archives of projects undertaken are
a unique and vital source of information on the site concerned and often the only trace that remains of disturbed sites. For this reason the full documentation and results of the intervention must be deposited for posterity in the archives, reflecting every aspect of the project.They should contain the preliminary documentation, documentation on the aims and methods, collected information, objects and samples, results of analysis, research, interpretation and publication.The mass
of collected paper, drawings, photographs, objects and digital data is a resource that enables
the reinterpretation of original findings. But it also provides the raw material for further research and informs exhibits.
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Curation of project archives