How context, finds registers, permits, packing and accession records turn an excavated object into accountable museum evidence. Each chapter separates direct record, editorial inference and the information still missing.
CHAPTER 01 / ED 01
Context before object
An object gains archaeological meaning from its layer, position, associations and recovery method.
What supports it
A beautiful find without recorded context supports fewer historical claims.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
CHAPTER 02 / ED 01
The field number
Temporary numbers connect a find to notebooks, plans, photographs and containers before a permanent museum number exists.
What supports it
A transcription error at this stage can separate an object from its evidence trail.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
CHAPTER 03 / ED 01
Condition at discovery
Photographs and written descriptions record breaks, deposits, colour and instability before treatment.
What supports it
Later cleaning can make the first condition impossible to reconstruct from appearance alone.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
CHAPTER 04 / ED 01
Packing is documentation
Support, orientation, container and movement log protect both material and identification.
What supports it
A box label must repeat, not replace, the primary register.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
CHAPTER 05 / ED 01
Legal and institutional custody
Permits, allocation decisions and transfer records establish who holds the object and under what authority.
What supports it
Museum presence does not explain lawful provenance by itself.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
CHAPTER 06 / ED 01
Accession creates a durable identity
The accession record ties number, source, date, description, rights and location into a managed collection.
What supports it
It should preserve earlier field identifiers rather than erase them.
Who is responsible
A named role, date and version make the information accountable.
What connects it
Field, accession and object identifiers preserve continuity between systems.
What stays open
A missing field or disputed reading remains visible rather than being completed by invention.
EDITORIAL QUESTIONWhat would another researcher need in order to verify this statement?
- Name the primary record.
- Copy the stable identifier.
- Separate observation and interpretation.
- State the remaining uncertainty.
RECORD TEMPLATE
Six fields for an accountable note
Object identifier
__________________________________
Record author + date
__________________________________
Direct observation
__________________________________
Source or method
__________________________________
Interpretive statement
__________________________________
Uncertainty + next check
__________________________________
FILE AUDIT / 17 July 2026
Before publication
- Identifier resolves to the intended object.
- Image view and reuse status are stated.
- Provenance fields are not collapsed.
- Treatment and reconstruction remain visible.
- Translation and interpretation are attributed.
- Material corrections receive a new date.