How to Write a Archaeologist Journal

On archaeological excavations, each archaeologist has to carry her own field journal that chronicles the daily work. If everything from the site was lost and the field journal was the only thing that remained, the archaeologist would need that journal to be as detailed and informative as possible. It is important to think of this journal as a diary of the site. There is a lot of freedom in how you format you journal, but there are some things that need to be included.

Things You'll Need

• Well-bound notebook

Instructions

Writing your field journal

1. Use a well-bound book. This could include composition notebooks, journals or any other well-bound binder. On the cover of this book, list your name, year and the location of your dig.

2. List your site numbers. Every archaeological site has a designated site number. The first number is the state's number, then the county's initial where you are digging in and the final number is the number of the digging site. For example, 8DU108. In this case, the number 8 is Florida, DU would be Duval County and 108 would be the Kingsley Plantation archaeological site.

3. Write your unit number. This is based on a grid, whether real or arbitrarily designated, depending on how the archaeological site is set up. Every archaeological unit has a number.

4. List everything that occurs during your dig. This might include everything you find, the measurements of your dig or the screening techniques you used. This is your diary of what you've done. Be thorough.

5. Add your own notes and commentary about your findings. Add your thoughts on the soil matrix, notes on any roots you find, your remarks on the features of your find---any relevant information that might add insight into your findings.

6. Include any sketches to illustrate your findings. The sketches are used to aid in the analysis of your findings. Remember, it could be years until someone analyzes your findings so this will help them gain a visual perspective, even if the actual artifacts are not available.

7. Date every page in your journal. That is critical in order to organize your findings. Also, it is significant in terms of preserving your work for future analysis.

References

• Archaeological Field Journal