As stated above, the Survey Site Sheet acts as a cover sheet for a site, providing a context for the more detailed feature sheets attached to it. The site sheet covers two pages (front and back sides of one sheet of paper) and is divided into eleven sections: Survey Site Identification, Features, Environmental, Dimensions, Site Type, Pottery Reading, Objects, Identification (a shortened version of the first section for the top of the second page), Photographs, Description, and Interpretation. The following is a brief description and discussion of each of these sections. The portion of the Survey Site Sheet being discussed has been reproduced and appears in a "box" either immediately preceding, or to the right of the pertinent text. Although we are discussing the Survey Site Sheet first in this manual, when you are in the field it is almost always best to complete this sheet after all the Feature Sheets have been completed since some of the information on this sheet requires knowledge of the features at the site.
Once completed, the information in this section will enable an individual to return to this site either physically, or vicariously through the collected data. Sites are numbered consecutively. Simply place the number of this site in the blank following "Site no.".
In the blank following "Season" place the year, e.g. '98.
The initials of the "Supervisor" come next.
Following this, the "Date" that the site was recorded is placed in the appropriate blank.
"Coord." refers to the coordinates of the site on the Palestine Grid. These can be determined by estimating its position on the topographical map supplied to each survey team, or by using the GPS. "N." refers to the north coordinate while "E." refers to the east coordinate.
Sometimes a single Survey Site Sheet will not provide enough space to include all data collected. In these instances a second sheet will be necessary and the blank following "F. Page" will need to be filled in. If it is the second sheet, place the number "2" in the blank; if it is the third sheet, a "3," etc.
"Aerial Photo No." refers to the number of the aerial photo in which the site is located. This can be determined by referring to the excavation's aerial photo key.
Architectural drawings are made of selected sites and the blank following "Drawing No." is reserved for the number of this drawing when completed.
As each site is recorded, a simple sketch showing each of the major features and their position relative to one another is to be completed. This sketch will be filed with the Survey Site Sheet. In the Survey Site Identification section, "Sketch" is meant as a reminder to the recorder to make his or her sketch of the site. Once this sketch has been completed, the recorder should place an "X" in the appropriate spot.
In the blank following "Elevation," include the elevation at which the central features of a site are found. Elevation can be determined using the topographical map of the region, or by using the GPS. If you use the GPS, remember that selective availability can cause the computed elevation to be off by plus or minus 156 meters. It is a good idea to compare the elevation supplied by the GPS with that supplied by the topo map.
Sites often have local names, and whenever possible we would like to preserve these names. If available, have a local person write the name of a site in Arabic in the blank labeled "Name: Arabic." This can be transliterated and placed in the blank following "Translit."
Finally, the space labeled Location Description needs to be completed for each site. Because sites are usually visited more than once, by more than one survey group, and from season to season, it is important to be able to find these sites again with a minimal amount of searching. It is our experience that the site coordinates are inadequate for this purpose; therefore, in the space alloted, give a prose description of the location, using prominent and permanent landmarks to locate the site.
Features are the man-made components which alone, or in combination make up a site. Thus, a group of stones is not a feature, but a group of stones placed by a human is a feature. The most common types of features in the hinterland survey region are listed under the heading "Type:". In most cases it will be self evident which type of feature you are dealing with. Others may not be so clear-cut and if you have questions about any of the feature types listed here, be sure to ask about them before you begin recording sites. As a site is recorded, an "X" should be placed in the appropriate space for each feature type found.
The environmental section of the Survey Site Sheet is designed to record the physical context of the site. It describes the environment based on terrain, vegetation, nearest water, slope, aspect, position on slope, and erosion.
A: TERRAIN
For "TERRAIN," determine the percentages of bedrock, rocky, cultivated, and archaeological sediment on the surface of the site and mark these in the appropriate spaces. Rocky is defined as terrain which is neither bedrock, nor cultivated. Cultivated includes fields which lie fallow when you are recording the site.
B: VEGETATION:
The dominant vegetation types are listed under the "VEGETATION" heading of the environmental section. As with the previous category, determine the percentages and place them in the appropriate spaces.
C. NEAREST WATER:
For "NEAREST WATER:", check the appropriate blank next to the primary water source of the site. For the purposes of this survey, we are ignoring obviously modern water sources, such as deep wells and pressure systems.
D. SLOPE and E. ASPECT:
The next parts of the environmental section are concerned with the slope and aspect of a site. Determine the appropriate percentages for the "SLOPE" of the site and place them in the appropriate spaces. "ASPECT" refers to the predominant exposure of the site. If the central features of a site are found on a slope facing East, then the predominant exposure is East and an "E" should be placed in this space. If the slope is flat, and thus without aspect, place an "F" in this space. Appropriate responses include: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, F.
F. POSITION ON SLOPE:
For the category "POSITION ON SLOPE", determine the approximate percentages for the site and place them in the appropriate spaces. It will, of course, be impossible to determine the exact percentages, but an approximation will be sufficient.
G. EROSION:
Finally, determine the amount of "EROSION" at the site and place an "X" in the appropriate box. In general, extensive erosion would be checked when 25% or more of a site has suffered erosion. Accumulation is rare and should be checked only in alluvial settings.
Determining the dimensions of a site is not as easy as it might appear at first glance. A good example of the problem is provided by Umayri site 56. Are the dimensions of this site relatively small as delimited by the core features, a rectilinear structure, a kiln, a dolmen, and some stone piles, or are they large as evidenced by the scores of dunams of terraced slopes and agricultural fields associated with these features? Certainly the smaller dimensions more accurately reflect the importance of the site, but they do not accurately reflect the true size of the site. One of the advantages of recording site data on two levels is that it allows dimensional data to be recorded in more than one way. When determining the dimensions of a site, the recorder will subjectively determine the core features and use these for measuring the "Area in Meters." The larger dimensions for fields and terraced slopes will be recorded on the Feature Sheets (below).
Measure, or "pace-off" the dimensions of the site on north-south and east-west axes and place these dimensions in the appropriate spaces.
"Dunams" will be calculated by the Computer, make no marks here.
"Estimated Depth of Remains" refers to the depth of archaeological remains and will be difficult or impossible to determine at most sites. At those sites where an estimate can be ventured, it will be recorded in meters and in a range from shallowest to deepest.
Finally, a space is provided for "Remarks" where the recorder can make any relevant comments concerning how the dimensions were recorded and why.
In this section, site type/s will be identified. After a careful examination, decide what you think was the primary use of the site and place a "P" in the appropriate blank. If you think the site had additional uses, place an "S" in the appropriate blank/s for its secondary use/s.
One of difficulties faced by MPP surveys has been the development of objective criteria for a determination of "Site Type." Most of the choices in this portion of the Survey Site Sheet are self explanatory. Others are less clear and some discussion of certain choices is appropriate at this point. One of the most common and important site types in the Madaba Plain region is the agricultural complex. An agricultural complex is defined as a site at which obvious agricultural features, e.g. rectilinear structures, perimeter and field walls, terraces, winepresses, cisterns, cupholes, embankments, and possibly kilns, are associated, in various combinations. "Centralized" agricultural complexes have either a rectilinear or circular structure at their core. Sites composed of agricultural features which do not include central rectilinear or circular structures are identified as "non-centralized."
The site type "Industrial Complex" is assigned to those sites, with features such as quarries and kilns, whose primary activity can be characterized as industrial in nature. Examples of these would be Umayri Site 70, a kiln for the production of quicklime, and Umayri Site 118, a large quarry just down the slope from Tall Jawa, (Umayri Site 29).
"Defensive" sites are those sites whose overwhelming reason for existence is defense. Thus, a site like Tall Jawa, a city with defensive walls would not qualify, while Umayri Site 126, a small fort, would qualify.
The Pottery section includes data gathered both in the field and the lab. Each row through the columns receives information from a single pottery pail. On the Survey Site Sheet, all pottery collected at a site is recorded. This includes pottery collected from individual features.
If the pottery from that pail is called "publishable" at pottery reading, place the number of publishable sherds in the first column, labeled "Pub,"
The "Date" column is the date the pottery was collected, not the date it was read. Enter it immediately when the pail is labeled in the field.
The "Pail" is the number of the pottery pail, or bag. Usually numbered consecutively, a pail number used at a site is never repeated for that site. This is especially critical for sites revisited from season to season as it is necessary to use a number which will not duplicate a number used in previous seasons.
The column labeled "Diag/Tot" refers to the number of sherds considered diagnostic and the total number of sherds collected in the pail. Write the number of diagnostic sherds (rims, bases, some handles, decoration, etc.) on the left side and the total number of sherds, including diagnostic sherds, on the right side. For example: 43/237 means that the pail contained 43 diagnostic sherds out of a total of 237 sherds.
Complete the column, "Preserv[ation]," at pottery reading, when you can see the sherds. Are they extraordinarily small? Are they badly worn? Are they extremely large pieces? etc.
The column labeled "Feat[ure]" is only for sherds collected specifically from an individual feature. If the feature number is "1," place a "1" in this space; if it is feature number "2," place a "2" in this space, etc. If the sherds are collected from the site as a whole, not limited to an individual feature, leave this space blank.
Record the "Pottery Reading" in the next column using the following abbreviations: Mod (Modern); Tur (Turkish) or LI (Late Islamic); Mam (Mamluk) or MI2 (Middle Islamic II); Ay (Ayyubid); Cru (Crusader) or MI1 (Middle Islamic I); Fat (Fatimid); Ab (Abbasid) or EI2 (Early Islamic II); UM (Umayyad) or EI1 (Early Islamic I); Byz (Byzantine); Rom (Roman); LR (Late Roman); ER (Early Roman); Hel (Hellenistic); Per (Persian); Ir (Iron); Ir2 (Iron II); Ir1 (Iron I); LB (Late Bronze); MB (Middle Bronze); EB (Early Bronze); Chal (Chalcolithic); Neo (Neolithic); E (early); L (late).
If you have more pottery pails than the Survey Site Sheet can accommodate, use a second sheet and enter the page number in the blank following "Continued on Pg."
****A more detailed pottery sheet was introduced during 1996. The pottery section discussed here is now used only for summary information.****
The objects section is used for all artifacts that have a degree of museum value, such as complete pottery vessels, coins, flints, grinding stones, watering troughs, etc. Objects will be rare in the hinterland survey, but they will occur.
The first column contains the "Date" when the find was made.
The second column contains the pottery "Pail" in use at the time of the find.
The column labeled "F[ie]ld" contains a sequential field number beginning with "1" for each site. Thus, the first object found at a site is assigned "1" and the second "2" and so on.
Sometimes objects are found together in groups. If so, their "Tot[al]" should be entered in the appropriate space.
Column E, "Clctd" (collected) is a column unique to the Regional Survey. There are instances when removing an object to the camp is either impractical (e.g. in the case of a three ton millstone) or impolite (e.g. removing a functioning stone cut water-trough). If an object is collected and removed to the camp, place a "Y" in this space. If an object is not collected, place an "N" in this space. If an object is not collected, be sure that adequate photographs are taken.
The column labeled "Feat[ure]" is only for objects collected specifically from an individual feature. If the feature number is "1," place a "1" in this space; if it is feature number "2," place a "2" in this space, etc. If the object was not associated with an individual feature, leave this space blank.
The "Description" column provides space for a brief description of the object, including an identification of the object and anything which might qualify its interpretation.
The final column, "Reg. No." is to be assigned by the object registrar in camp.
As with pottery, if you have more objects than the Survey Site Sheet can accommodate, use a second sheet and enter the page number in the blank following "Continued on Pg."
As a "book-keeping" measure, the reverse side of the site sheet begins with a condensed version of the Identification section which began the sheet. Fill in the spaces to match the identification section at the beginning of the sheet.
Every photo taken at the site should be listed here, including photos of individual features. Record the "Date" the photograph was taken in the first column. The photographer will give you the "Photo No." The final column is for a brief description of the subject in the photograph. Be sure to include feature numbers where applicable. You may need to complete this section in camp after the photos have been developed and returned to you, hopefully no more than three days after you have visited the site. As with pottery, if you have more photos than the Survey Site Sheet can accommodate, use a second sheet and enter the page number in the blank following "Continued on Pg."
In the section labeled Description:, include a prose description of the entire site. Be sure to include each feature, rough dimensions of the features, the spatial and, if possible, the temporal relationships between these features.
As its name suggests, this section of the Survey Site Sheet is interpretive. Fill it out when you have finished recording the site and all individual feature sheets. It is, in your best judgment, a statement of what the site was and how it fits into the food system of the area. Consider all options, no matter how crazy they sound. Under the category "Function:," include a discussion of the way the site was likely used. A villa, an ice cream stand, etc. For the category "Food System:," consider the position of this site in the subsistence strategies of the region.