17 - Sites without Principles; post-excavation analysis of ‘pre-matrix’ sites

Abstract

This chapter presents practical guidelines for analyzing excavation records site archives, which were compiled without the benefits of a standardized methodology or a full awareness of the principles of archeological stratigraphy outlined by Harris. The first task when approaching the analysis of a site archive is to organize the various recording media so that all information regarding the stratification is cross-referenced and easily accessible. Although this may be a time-consuming task, experience has shown that avoiding or skimping on this will invariably create problems at a later stage in the analysis. Second, the entire stratigraphic sequence must be compiled and verified as far as is possible, and presented in the form of a Harris matrix. The matrix is the fundamental tool of stratigraphic analysis, and any problems or ambiguities should be clearly identified. Third, with all the data accessible and the stratigraphic sequence established, the contexts may be grouped together, moving through a hierarchy of groupings based on their levels of association. Fourth, as the post-excavation analysis is a process which will subsequently form part of the site archive, the structure and procedure of that analysis should be documented in a project diary. This will help satisfy the bus principle during the course of post-excavation analysis.