Field Name

Description

Accession or Loan No

Enter the Accession or Incoming Loan number(s) associated with this site.

Associated Archives

A check in this box indicates that there are other archival records also associated with this site.

Ceramics

A check in this box indicates the presence of ceramic or pottery fragments or artifacts that are made of ceramics at the site.

Charcoal

A check in this box indicates there are samples of charred organic materials. They are often collected to use for radiocarbon samples.

Controlling Agency

This is the institution that has control over the collections. The entry will consist of agency names such as "Burke Museum", or "National Parks Service", or "Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission." This field is controlled by an authority file.

Country

Enter the country of the site. This field is controlled by an authority file.

County

Enter the county where the site is located.

Description

This unlimited field is used to describe the archaeological site. For example: "45-SJ-24 or English Camp is located on the eastern shore of Garrison Bay in a protected inlet. The archaeological shell midden underlies the grassy open area of the park referred to as the Parade Grounds (OP A) and the wooded region to the north (OP D)."

Donor, Collector, Investigator

Use this field to record the name of the donor, collector, or professional investigator who supervised the project/excavation of the site.

Easting

UTM easting coordinates are referenced to the center line of the zone known as the central meridian. The central meridian is assigned an easting value of 500,000 meters East. Since this 500,000m value is arbitrarily assigned, eastings are sometimes referred to as "false eastings."

Electronic Cataloging Status

This is the status of the collection in terms of whether or not it has been cataloged in the museum database or not. The entry will consist of "yes", "no" or "partial". This field is controlled by an authority file.

Elevation

Elevation allows you to enter numeric information about the highest point of the site. Use the "Size & Elevation Measured In" field to describe the units.

Elevation Measure In

Designates the units used for measuring size (length/width) and elevation of a site. Options are meters or feet.

Entered

The date and time the record was added is automatically entered in this field.

Entered by

The name of the person who added the record is automatically entered.

Estimated Cubic Feet

This is the amount of space that the collection of objects takes up at the museum. The entry would consist of numbers such as "5" or "861".

Floatation Samples

A check in this box indicates there were samples of soil taken from an excavation for the purpose of using water to separate out materials within the soil.

Glass

A check in this box indicates the presence of glass fragments or artifacts made of glass in this site.

Historics

A check in this box indicates a catch-all category that includes plastics and buttons.

Hemisphere

Select from the drop-down list N for Nothern Hemisphere or S for Southern Hemisphere.

Horizontal Datum

A datum describes the model that was used to match the location of features on the ground to coordinates and locations on the map. Every map that shows a geographic coordinate system such as UTM or Latitude and Longitude with any precision will also list the datum used on the map. The Global Positioning System uses an earth centered datum called the World Geodetic System 1984 or WGS 84. WGS 84 was adopted as a world standard from a datum called the North American Datum of 1983 or NAD 83. For all practical purposes there is no difference between WGS 84 and NAD 83.

Investigator Affiliation

This is the name of the business that the Principal Investigator was associated with during the project. The entry will consist of names such as "University of Washington" or "Washington State University." This field is controlled by an authority file.

Last modified

The last date and time the record was changed is automatically entered in this field.

Last modified by

The name of the last person to edit the record is automatically entered in this field.

Latitude

Enter the latitude degrees as a number from 0 to 90.

Latitude North/South

Indicate N (North Latitude) or S (South Latitude).

Legal Description

Use this unlimited notes field to write a description of the site that is complete and specific enough for an independent surveyor to locate and identify it.

Length

Enter the approximate length of a site. Use the "Size & Elevation Measured In" field to describe the units.

Level Bags

A check in this box indicates there are bags of different materials found from one level of excavation.

Lithics

A check in this box indicates the presence of stone artifacts such as points or grinding stones in the site.

Longitude

Enter the longitude degrees as a number from 0 to 180.

Longitude East/West

Indicate E (East Longitude) or W (West Longitude).

Mailing Address

Record the physical address of the site if available.

Mapping Details

Giver further details on the mapping of this site, if needed.

Metal

A check in this box indicates that metal fragments or artifacts made of metal were at the site.

Modified Bone

A check in this box indicates the presence of items made out of bone in the site.

Northing

UTM northing coordinates are measured relative to the equator. For locations north of the equator, the equator is assigned the northing value of 0 meters North. To avoid negative numbers, locations south of the equator are made with the equator assigned a value of 10,000,000 meters North.

Notes

Use the unlimited Notes field for any additional information that has not been recorded in any other field.

Organics

A check in this box indicates the presence of materials such as wood samples or seed samples in the site.

Position based on GPS reading

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a radio navigation system that allows users to determine their exact location, velocity, and time. On the ground, any GPS receiver contains a computer that "triangulates" its own position by getting bearings from three of the four satellites. The result is provided in the form of a geographic position - longitude and latitude - to, for most receivers, within a few meters. Indicate whether the latitude and longitude recorded on the site screen were derived by using a GPS device by placing a check in the box.

Prime Meridian

Enter the prime meridian from which longitudinal measurements have been taken. The prime meridian is the meridian of zero longitude. The Greenwich Meridian was chosen as the Prime Meridian for international use at the International Meridian Conference, Washington, United States, 1884.

Project Name

This is the name of the Project that was performed at the Site. There may be several projects that occur at one site. The entry will consist of names such as, "McNary Project - River Basin Surveys", or "Wenatchee Bridge and Rail Retrofit Project". This field is controlled by an authority file.

Project Notes

Use this unlimited Notes field to record any other information about the project not captured by other fields.

Project Type

This is the type of work that was done at the site. The entry will consist of project types such as "Data Recovery" or "Survey" or "Non-Systematic". This field is controlled by an authority file.

Project Year

This is the year the site was surveyed or excavated. The entry will consist of numbers such as "1985" or "1985-1998."

Public Access

Place a check mark in this box if you want to include this record on your public site. Sharing records requires the Public Access add-on.

Publications

List any publications about the site or publications in which images of artifacts recovered from the site are published.

Quarter

The intersection of Range lines and Township lines define 6 by 6 mile squares called Townships, which are divided into 36 sections. These are normally 1 by 1 mile squares. Sections are numbered from 1 to 36 for identification. Sections are broken into quarters.

Radio Carbon Dates

This is a date given by scientifically analyzing charcoal from the site to give a time of occupation. The entry would consist of "4250-200 BP" or "yes."

Range

Ranges occur at 6 mile intervals north and south of a baseline that is associated with each principal meridian. The position of the baseline for each principal meridian is also historical and arbitrary. Range values are normally whole numbers starting at 1, but some exceptions occur. Range lines are normally adjusted every 4th line to correct for the spherical nature of the earth. These are called guide meridians.

Rehousing Status

This is the status of the collection in terms of whether or not it has been rehoused in archival materials or whether it needs to be. The entry will consist of "yes", "no" or "partial." This field is controlled by an authority file.

Section

The intersection of Range lines and Township lines define 6 by 6 mile squares called Townships, which are divided into 36 sections. These are normally 1 by 1 mile squares, but some are altered to correct for the spherical earth.

Sediment Samples

A check in this box indicates there were samples of soil taken from an excavation of a site.

Shellfish

A check in this box indicates that shell samples were collected to determine the shellfish type at the site.

Site Name

Enter the name of the site.

Site No

This field may be used to record the Smithsonian or other site number designation for an archaeological site.

State

Enter the state where the site is located.

Township

Townships are named in reference to the Principal Meridian and a baseline. T2N refers to Township 2 North (of the baseline). Townships occur at 6 mile intervals east and west of the principal meridian. Township values are normally whole numbers starting at 1, but some exceptions occur. Township lines are normally adjusted every 4th line to correct for the spherical nature of the earth. These are called standard parallels.

Township No

Townships are named in reference to the Principal Meridian and a baseline. T2N refers to Township 2 North (of the baseline). Townships occur at 6 mile intervals east and west of the principal meridian. Township values are normally whole numbers starting at 1, but some exceptions occur. Township lines are normally adjusted every 4th line to correct for the spherical nature of the earth. These are called standard parallels.

Unmodified Bone

A check in this box indicates that bone samples were collected to determine animal types at the site.

Width

Enter the approximate width of a site. Use the "Size & Elevation Measured In" field to describe the units.

Woven Organics

A check in this box indicates the presence of basketry fragments or other items that are made by weaving plant material.

Zone

The UTM system divides the earth into 60 zones each 6 degrees of longitude wide. These zones define the reference point for UTM grid coordinates within the zone. UTM zones extend from a latitude of 80° S to 84° N. In the polar regions the Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS) grid system is used. UTM zones are numbered 1 through 60, starting at the international date line, longitude 180°, and proceeding east. Zone 1 extends from 180° W to 174° W and is centered on 177° W. Each zone is divided into horizontal bands spanning 8 degrees of latitude. These bands are lettered, south to north, beginning at 80° S with the letter C and ending with the letter X at 84° N. The letters I and O are skipped to avoid confusion with the numbers one and zero. The band lettered X spans 12° of latitude. A square grid is superimposed on each zone. It's aligned so that vertical grid lines are parallel to the center of the zone, called the central meridian. UTM grid coordinates are expressed as a distance in meters to the east, referred to as the "easting", and a distance in meters to the north, referred to as the "northing."