As we have seen the primary element of excavation is the identification and definition of the stratigraphic units, and the understanding of their relationships to each other. A site recording system is then used in order to document these SUs and their stratified sequence for the excavation as a whole in a systematic fashion. As excavation generally involves the destruction of all such SUs it therefore follows that the only surviving record of the site will be the documentation. This information then becomes the primary source of interpretation of the site, so it is crucial that each element is filled in as completely as possible.

The recording system has several components. Each SU is recorded on a written record sheet or scheda, then drawn on a horizontal plan. Most are also recorded in vertical sections and photographs. Specially designated Objects are recorded on a written object record sheet or scheda. All these records both written and drawn and photographs are correlated in the digital database, ARK, which enables ease of interpretation of the records.

Most recording systems follow these basic principles and many systems are in use around the world, all of which consist of variations along this basic theme. The system in use at Villa Magna has been designed taking into consideration that this is an international field school and participants come from a variety of different backgrounds. If you are an experienced excavator some things may differ slightly from what you are used to but fundamentally the principal is the same.