Viewing page 103 of 201

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

NOTES ON THE SAFEGUARDING AND CONSERVING CULTURAL MATERIAL IN THE FIELD                        29.

ering floors or ground.
(2) The position of the remains may be extremely inconvenient, and expose them to risks caused by nearby movement.
(3) Unless something more than covering is done, the causes of disintegration, notable damp and insects, will continue to work.

In such cases, when fragments are easily identifiable as part of a particular object, collect them in a box or tray, clearly labelled with what the object is, and where the fragments were found.  Remember to save even the smallest pieces.  In the reconstruction of an object these [[underline]] may [[/underline]] be of cardinal importance, and make the difference between complete reconstruction and an approximation.

In the case of mixed debris, pick out the larger fragments and put the remainder into boxes or trays, labelling both the larger pieces and the boxes, according to where they were found.  Sorting according to material (e.g. stone, metal, pottery, paper, etc.) will help later work.