Laboratory

Designation of an operation number, a number assigned to separate areas of investigation conducted each year, is the first step in tracking artifacts and excavation areas. Operations field forms (Figure 3) contain information on dates of excavation, excavators, general descriptions, datum points, and any associated lot numbers. Operations during the 1999 field season that will be discussed here include OP99-1, OP99-4, 5, 6, and OP99-8.

After operation numbers are assigned and initial investigation has begun in an area lot record numbers are issued. The lot number has a prefix of LA designating the site of Lamanai. All deposits or features excavated are assigned lot numbers thus creating the system upon which we draw all of our work. Lot records (Figure 4) include site name; year excavated; structure; assessment; operation; associated, equivalent, and lots above and below; thickness, area and volume; grid reference; date of deposit; screen and flotation information; photographs; datum points; and memo fields to designate disturbances and any other observations. Lot and operation numbers allow us to accurately track our artifact and excavation history.

Important artifacts recovered within lots are designated with individual small find numbers. These correspond with lot numbers, i.e. the first small find, a net sinker, within lot LA1114 would be identified as LA1114/1. Four levels of descriptions, mainly reflecting the production process were developed for analysis purposes of small finds, 1) production terms, 2) materials, 3) function or use and 4) specific types. Once operations, lots and small find forms are completed they are entered into our database program Superbase allowing much quicker access to excavation history, artifact, and architectural data.

Figure #3

Lamanai Project Operations Field Record.

Back