Archaeology

An artifact's location and relationship to surrounding deposits, features, and other objects can be critical to understanding its age, use, and significance. An object removed from its documented setting may provide less information than one recovered through a properly recorded investigation because important evidence about its archaeological context can be lost.

Useful records can include survey reports, excavation notes, photographs, maps, artifact catalogs, laboratory findings, research designs, archival materials, prior site investigations, and documentation showing where specimens and records were stored. Archaeological documentation commonly combines field evidence with historical and other supporting sources.

Remote sensing and geospatial methods can help document or investigate subsurface features, site boundaries, distributions, and areas that may warrant closer examination without immediately excavating them. The usefulness of a particular method depends on the site, the available evidence, and the question being investigated.