Protect the context-object relationship
Assign the find number according to the project recording system and connect it to site, trench, context, sample, bag, and spatial data as required. Photograph labels and objects so an image cannot be separated from its identity.
Do not infer archaeological context from the object image. Context is supplied by the excavation record and must remain linked through processing, conservation, analysis, and deposition.
Record a consistent preliminary description
A preliminary record can cover material, object class, part, count, weight, dimensions, manufacturing evidence, decoration, visible use, and condition. Project-specific fields should reflect the research design and specialist cataloging manuals.
Use explicit values for unknown, not present, not examined, and uncertain. These states are different and should not collapse into an empty field.
Photograph for comparison and future analysis
Use overall views, profiles, sections, diagnostic features, surfaces, breaks, marks, and a scale in the same plane. Keep lighting and orientation consistent within material groups so specialists can compare objects efficiently.
Record the photographer and date. When an object changes through cleaning, conservation, sampling, or destructive analysis, retain before-and-after images and event notes.
Design handoffs between field and specialist records
A flexible schema should support preliminary field recording and later specialist additions without overwriting the original observation. Record who identified or revised a classification and when.
Export identifiers, context references, measurements, classifications, notes, and image filenames in formats the project database can ingest. Test joins and controlled values before processing a full season.
Review checklist
- Every find remains linked to its archaeological context.
- Labels and filenames follow the project identifier system.
- Material-specific fields follow project manuals.
- Unknown and unexamined values are distinguished.
- Diagnostic features and scale are photographed.
- Changes through treatment or sampling are recorded.
- Specialist revisions preserve authorship and date.
Where AI fits
Technology can accelerate capture, transcription, field suggestions, and consistency checks. It cannot establish provenance, legal title, cultural authority, or conservation conclusions from an image alone. CurioAI keeps generated fields editable and requires a person to review the record before saving it.
See the guided cataloging workflowSources and professional guidance
These sources inform the workflow above. Institutions should also follow their own documentation policy, legal requirements, community protocols, and specialist standards.