Documentation is highly important and can be very time consuming when you are dealing with archaeological excavation. Your documentation must be as detailed as possible and you must be completely accurate when posting your newly found information. Documentation during the process must be completed correctly and include even the smallest detail due to the fact that it is often not possible to add information once the excavation is finished without causing damage to your work. Many archaeologists find themselves short of the time that it takes to perform the excavation and add the information that is crucial to their findings in a detailed documented report. For this reason, many archaeologists rely on documentation services to help them along the way.
Since some projects that are connected with building projects require lengthy and highly detailed documentation, customers can often find themselves paying an overly outrageous expense due to the documentation processes that must be followed.
Archaeologists often employ the help of documentation services to keep their costs down, and to ensure that they have every minute detail added to their reports. Since the excavation takes so much time in and of itself, it is often necessary to use a service to ensure that deadlines are met and that business customers remain satisfied with the output regarding time and cost.
Most archaeological documentation services provide surveying and photogrammetry services. Surveying services may include total stations and plan generation for use on the day following the initial survey. The plans are used to monitor the progress of the excavation while still on the site. 3D laser scanners are also used widely and can often be converted to contour line plans or DGM if needed.
Photogrammetry uses digital cameras and grid photography and provides archaeologists with precise and accurate, efficient documentation of their specific plans and sections. Once the excavation has been finished, the documents from these services are available, typically in electronic form. The data is saved using the most standard formats and can then be shared or prepared into the format that is needed for the specific report. Using a documentation service allows archaeologists to focus their time on the excavation itself, without the worries of missing an important item in the final report. The creation of publication templates widely used in journals, exhibition materials, posters and other media can be simplified when using archaeological documentation services.
Many however, will prefer to keep their records private and will perform their own documentation. This is also a widely used practice. It is important to note however, that specific details and even the smallest mention must be made of everything that is found. If you are planning an excavation, it is very advisable to do some research into the documentation procedures just to make sure that you include everything that is needed.