Why do we record objects?

KENT-405833

What do we record?

image

description

findspot and how found

date of object

identifier

material

dimensions

Map of the distribution of early Anglo-Saxon wrist-clasps (from Lucy 2000)

SF7853Chippenham, Cambridgeshire

Finds from a collection of early Anglo-Saxon objects

Finds picked up after de-stoning in advance of carrot

planting in a single field at Oxborough, Norfolk

image

description

findspot and how found

date of object

identifier

materialdimensions

date of recording

FAHG-7B3D73

KENT-FED666

Primary material

Surface treatment

Broad period

The ‘advanced search’ screen

DOR-C080A4

Writing descriptions – some principles

• Back up your statements with evidence

• Remember the needs of the searcher– strap end )– strap-end ) all need separate searches…– strapend )

– globular ) try to use all terms that might– spherical ) be searched on

‘Scandanavian’ should be spelled ‘Scandinavian’ (there are several on the database for me to correct)

Romanists have strap-ends

(Hawkes and Dunning 1962) Medievalists have belt-chapes (Ward-Perkins 1940)

Anglo-Saxon loops and tongues; Marzinzik 2003, 308

Medieval frames and pins; Egan and Pritchard 1991, 51

Too many boarders and not enough borders

Round pin heads?

Spherical – YORYM-0B2194

Flat and circular – WMID-C6EC38

LIN-AC7FF0

There are four ring-and-dot motifs on each side – or is there one on each side, and four on the front and back? Edges can also be a problem….

Writing descriptions – more principles

• Back up your statements with evidence

• Remember the needs of the searcher

• Avoid ambiguous words and phrases

• Be logical and systematic as you work through the object’s description

Medieval animal-head mount with each image oriented correctly

Lead die with Roman numerals – the images are not oriented correctly

There are separate fields for date, materials, measurements and so on – why do these need to be repeated in the description field?

• Extra information for measurements (e.g. ‘8 mm wide in the centre, tapering to 6 mm wide at either end’) • Extra information for materials (e.g. ‘copper-alloy buckle plate with two iron rivets’). • Extra information for dates (e.g. ‘this object type is most common in the 14th century, but the use of niello inlaid in a criss-cross pattern suggests a late 15th- if not early 16th-century date for this particular example’.) • Extra information for completeness – is the break fresh (showing possible recent agricultural damage) or worn (possibly broken in antiquity or showing long-term agricultural damage)• Extra information for parallels (e.g. ‘identical to Hattatt 1431’, or ‘similar to, but smaller than, Hattatt 239’.

So don’t assume that because another field is filled in, that information doesn’t need to go into the description field.

Quoting parallels – in order of usefulness

1. Excavated parallels from dated archaeological contexts give solid evidence for date (e.g. Museum of London finds books)

2. Unstratified archaeological finds or the PAS database do not have dates, but have good findspots and often evidence for other parallels which eventually lead you back to a date

3. Books with lots of pictures, identifications and dates, but no evidence backing this up are the worst.

Geoff Egan

we miss him very much

The 1700 divide: what to record after 1700 AD?

• Treasure Act ends 300 years ago, so currently at 1711

• The basic principle is: will searchers of the database find it a useful record? - is it interesting?- are there others on the database?- could it be confused with anything else?

• If uncertain, make a record

In practice – things you won’t record

• official coins

• buckles

• buttons

• harness mounts

• furniture fittings

In practice – things you will record

Objects that tell a story, e.g.:

● unusual tokens and ‘paranumismatica’

● seals, especially Russian flax seals, kosher seals, cloth seals

Kosher seal, SF-1A2781Estonian flax seal, SWYOR-26EA54

Birmingham workhouse button, LEIC-2E59C6

Mersey ferry ticket found in Ormskirk, LANCUM-07DD85

In practice – things you will record

Complete objects that help us understand or identify incomplete and difficult objects

These things used to be a puzzle – were they Roman spoon handles?

No, they were 18th- or 19th-century… what? Candlestick elements, drawer handles, curtain tie-back handles have all been suggested.

NCL-775DF4

SOM-6B52C5

NMS-FA74E3

These middle Anglo-Saxon pin heads didn’t look quite right….

CORN-9D3541

BH-F6E4D2BH-7A8FD3

SUSS-59F935

…because they were actually modern coat-hooks!

SUSS-59F935

On the PAS website, click ‘Contacts’ at the top and scroll down….

…then click on this

click here to read it