Record & catalogue

Links: Homepage Laboratory Facilities Mini-excavations Identify Conservation

Our purpose-built laboratory database allows us to keep detailed records of each burial. It was developed using Microsoft Access and it includes a system for rapid coding of the bones and teeth present, and their measurements. One field of view (above) makes it possible to see at a glance what bones are present and their state of preservation. The philosophy behind the design is that it minimizes the number of mouse clicks during data entry. For reasons of data conservation, it also has the explanations of the coding built into it, so in the distant future it should be comprehensible even without a manual.

The initial records are taken on paper forms because these are easier to keep track of in the laboratory. The data are entered into the database, but the paper forms remain as a backup and they are scanned to pdf files as an additional measure.