Determine the
number of chambers in the cave and place the total in this space. Note that
niches in the wall or bins in the floor are not chambers.Caves are one of the most common archaeological features in the survey region and completing Cave Feature Sheets will occupy a substantial portion of your recording time. (Be sure to watch out for fleas, snakes, spiders, etc. when recording caves.)
Determine the
number of chambers in the cave and place the total in this space. Note that
niches in the wall or bins in the floor are not chambers.
The material should
always be limestone, but if by chance there is some other material, describe
it in the blank following "Other."
In this section, mark
the entry "Unfaced" if the cave wall shows no signs of an exterior
or interior lining. if there any signs of plaster, check the space next
to "Plaster." If mud, check the space next to "Mud."
Very rarely you may find traces of paint on plastered walls. If the paint
is in the form of a design, make sure the architect draws it, and whether
or not there is a design be sure to enter the Munsell color.
In this section describe
the floor plan of the cave. If it is round, mark "Circular." If
the cave is basically "Rectilinear," mark the second space. An
"Oval" cave can be elliptical or egg-shaped, as well as oval.
An "Apsidal" cave has three linear walls connected in a "U"
shape and one semi circular wall which forms an apse at the open end of
the "U." "Irregular" indicates amorphous shapes which
cannot be grouped. When there are no qualifiers, an "a" is placed
in the entry blank and you imply that the feature's plan is very close to
the ideal.
On cave walls, look
for signs of "Tooling." If there are tool marks, enter the width
of the tool mark in cm and a range of lengths. Make a quick sketch of tool
marks, checking the space labeled "Sketch" and file it with the
Feature Sheet. Make sure photos are taken of all types of stone cutting
in each feature, then check the "Photo" entry.
The nature of
caves in the survey region often prevents entry by the recorder. In these
cases accurate measurement will be impossible. If you were able to enter
the cave, check the space following the label "Meas[ured]." If
you were unable to enter sufficiently for measurement but sufficiently to
make dimensional estimates, check the space following the label "Est[imated]."
Most caves will have debris covering their floors. If possible, estimate
the "Depth of Debris." The contents of this debris may help us
to determine what a cave has been used for. If it was impossible even to
estimate any or all pertinent dimensions, leave these spaces blank. In the
space following "Remarks," be sure to include the reason why you
were unable to make accurate measurements of the feature.
Cave origins are varied
and often impossible to discern. Most caves in the region are "Natural"
limestone caves. A "Hewn" cave has been dug wholly or partially
out of the rock. Many "Collapsed Cisterns" function as caves.
If the caves origin cannot be determined mark "Uncertain."
Since caves in
the region are often used as living quarters for either humans or animals,
they are often modified. When recording a cave, examine it carefully for
these modifications and note them in this section. If the modifications
involve the construction of walls or the cutting of features into the rock,
be sure to complete supplementary Architectural and/or Rock-Cut Feature
Sheets.
This portion of the
description section deals with the shape of the opening which gives access
to the cave, or chamber being described. (CAUTION: this portion of the cave
description looks almost identical to part "D," which deals with
the floor plan of the cave, or chamber. Make sure that you do not confuse
the data for these two parts.) Note both the shape and the dimensions of
the opening in the appropriate spaces. Perspective refers to how the cave
is entered; mark the appropriate space. If there is more than one opening,
a second cave feature sheet will need to be completed.
The material on the
floor of a cave is usually the best indication of its present, and at times
past, function. Generally a mix, determine the relative percentages of materials
on the surface of the cave's floor and mark the appropriate spaces. Pay
special attention to "Dung," "Ash," and "Refuse"
since these often provide the best clues of the present function of the
cave. If you find human bones, leave the cave and contact your supervisor.
If the cave is presently in
use, e.g. as living quarters, a herding station, for storage, etc. place
an "X" in the first space, "Presently in Use." If the
cave is not currently in use, but evidences "Recent Seasonal Use,"
for example if there are quantities of dung, the remains of a fire, etc.
in the cave, mark this space. If the cave was obviously "Used in Antiquity,"
mark this space. Because a cave may be used in any number of ways and may
even go into and out of use over time you may need to mark more than one
of these spaces. If you only suspect that a cave could have been used in
antiquity for mortuary purposes but do not have any traces of it (the accumulated
debris may be the only evidence) mark the space "Burials" with
a "?". If no use can be determined, check the space next to "U.D."
Place an "X" in the appropriate blank. If you were unable to enter a cave to determine the degree of preservation, place an "X" next to the label "U.D." and explain this on the "Remarks" line.
The "Remarks" section belongs to the overall description of the feature. You may want to record subtleties which are not included in the specific entries above. If so, please give a thoughtful, concise, and specific description.
