Each Field Director has a register of SUs, for each area. These are books with a simple list, in numerical order, of the contexts excavated. There is a single sequence for SUs, SSUs and HRUs. First, decide if the unit in question is an SU,SSU or HRU. Write its number and description on the SU Register: this should be done in conjunction with the trench supervisor. You may want to take out several numbers at once, to aid you in describing the sequence: too often the next SU down is not recorded because it hasn’t got a number yet. Care must be taken not to duplicate numbers, so a short identifier of the SU is written immediately in the register. A phrase like ‘dump by SSU 2003’ or ‘west wall of room V’ is adequate.

SU Schede

SU schede will be filled in either English or Italian, use the one that comes easiest. A brief outline is given below of the type of comment that should be written in each box.

SU Number – Enter the number you have put in the register.
Site – Each archaeological site is assigned a unique site code – the site code for VM will remain the same throughout the season and the life of the excavation.

Year – 07

Area – MON for Monastery or CAS for Casale

Zone – Within MON, C for Church, B for area in front of Church.

Trench – I, II etc.

Plan – numbers of plans on which this SU appears

Section – numbers of sections on which this SU appears

Photograph – codes of photographs of this SU

Level Min./Level Max. – when taking levels, this is the minimum and maximum of the levels on the top of the SU, indicating the range of elevation of the upper surface.

Definition – This is the short line you have written in the context register.

Positive/Negative /Pavement – If the unit is an SU, record whether it is positive or negative or a pavement by circling this word on the sheet. Pavements can be paved with stone, cement, marble, brick/tile, plaster, or beaten earth. The aim in recording pavements is to indicate that this SU is a surface upon which people lived their lives.

Criteria of Distinction – which of the following did you use to distinguish this SU from other SUs: Colour, Consistency, Compaction and Composition (for postive SUs), or form (for negative SUs).

Excavation technique – how was it excavated, trowel, pick & shovel, scalpel? Was it sieved? Was a sample taken?

Dimensions – what are the major dimensions of the SU, include depth or height as well as length and width Dimensions should be recorded in mm or m.

Composition – what is the SU composed of try to include the proportions of what the deposit is made up of eg. Silty sand if the deposit contains more sand than silt. The following will be the most commonly used terms, Clay, Silt, Sand, Pebbles. Use fine, coarse and medium as a modifier.

Colour – Keep as simple as possible, using graduations in terms of dark, mid and light using no more than two colours, the terms outlined below should help.

Compaction – The strength of the deposit is important as it provides an indication of the processes that have created or affected the deposit. The following table is a good guide to follow when filling in this section.

Sediment Type Term Definition
Coarse grained sediments Indurated Broken only with a sharp pick blow even when soaked Strongly cemented Cannot be broken with hands Weakly cemented Pick removes sediment in lumps Compact Requires mattock for excavation Loose Can be excavated with hoe or trowel
Fine grained sediments Hard Brittle or very tough Stiff Cannot be moulded with fingers Firm Moulded only by strong finger pressure Soft Easily moulded with fingers Very soft Exudes between fingers when squeezed Friable Non plastic, crumbles in fingers
Peat Firm Fibres compressed together Spongy Very compressible and open structure

State of preservation – Is the SU partially cut away, eroded, or incomplete in any other way?

Formation – How was this SU created? Was it built, did it form by natural alluvial deposition, or was it deposited by man or animal?

_Organic Components / Geological Components / Artificial
Components_ – what makes up the SU?
Organic components often include: soil, ash, carbon flecks, snail shells, roots, human remains
Geological components often include: pebbles, limestone rocks, tufa, clay, chalk
Artificial components often include: plaster, pottery, glass, beer bottles, plastic, coins

Description – This is the short description of the unit. Positive and negative SUs are described on the same sheet, but do think about the differences between them. When describing a negative SU, like the cut of a pit, describe its orientation (eg descending northward), shape in plan and section (eg circular mouth, bell-shaped profile, linear), break of slope (eg shallow, sharp, imperceptible). When describing a positive SU, you should take care not to repeat the descriptors you have just entered into separate boxes above but make a point to give as detailed a physical description of the SU as possible Positive SUs should have a comment on their surface (eg ‘irregular loose layer of earth and stones, with stones denser towards wall 2003’), and any other observation that seems useful.

Observations – For supplementary remarks about the SSU: eg ‘risk of contamination from pitfill (3004)’ or ‘probably the same as (2006) on the other side of wall [2245]’.

Relationships – It is extremely important that all relationships with other units are filled in correctly. For the purposes of interpretation, some of these entities operate differently in the archaeology.

SUs, SSUs and HRUs can cover, fill, or abut, and be covered by, cut by, and abutted by.
Negative SUs always cut and are filled by others. Note especially that:
SUs do not abut other SUs, they cover, cut and fill other SUs and they abut SSUs.
SSUs cover, fill, abut and bond with other SSUs.
HRUs, interestingly, both cover and are covered by the earth of the tomb in which they lie.
Sometimes, it is determined in the course of excavation that two separate SUs or SSUs or HRUs, which have been numbered and treated separately are actually the same. Then they are equal to each other.

For ease of recognition on the paper, SSU numbers are surrounded by a square, or when typing square brackets [ ], SUs which are floor surfaces (including mosaics and other ‘built’ floors) have an underlined number, all other positive SUs are circled and have their number surrounded by parentheses ( ) , and cuts are left blank. HRUs are signaled by * after the number. Following these conventions aids in reading the record sheet, or matrix.

Interpretation – THIS IS AN OBLIGATORY FIELD – YOU MUST FILL IT IN! – This is your hypothesis about the function or significance of the SU. It may change in the course of the excavation, but it is important to suggest an explanation for the SU. Sometimes, these are very obvious and the Interpretation may be identical to the definition, (‘west wall of room 17’) or ‘destruction of wall 2003’, ‘surface associated with the last phase of the cemetery’.

Date / Period / Phase – These are the date of the SU (if known, eg if inscribed with a date or with very particular diagnostic materials or archeometric analysis), Period and Phase of SU. At the moment, we have not really divided the archaeology of the site into Periods and Phases, so it is best to leave these blank. If there are particular diagnostic materials (beer bottles, coins of Trajan) record these here.

Stratigraphic reliability – this is a place to assess the risk of contamination of that SU, and whether you are sure that the SU above it was removed but the one beneath it was not, eg High, Mediocre, Poor

Date of excavation – the date the SU is removed, if it is.

Director – Elizabeth Fentress

Supervisor – put the name of your area supervisor in the lower right, CG or MM. Area supervisors are ultimately responsible for checking each scheda.

On the reverse of the scheda you now sketch a plan of the SU, remembering always the N is up on the page. This is not a scale plan, but rather a quick sketch for you to record the shape of the SU, perhaps some of its notable features. These sketches can be helpful for noting information about levels, location of finds, but all scale information MUST be properly planned on permatrace.

SSU Schede

SSU schede will be filled in either English or Italian, use the one that comes easiest. A brief outline is given below of the type of comment that should be written in each box.

SSU Number – Enter the number you have put in the register.
Site – Each archaeological site is assigned a unique site code – the site code for VM will remain the same throughout the season and the life of the excavation.
Year – 07
Area – MON for Monastery or CAS for Casale
Zone – Within MON, C for Church, B for area in front of Church.
Trench – I, II etc.
Level Min./Level Max. – when taking levels, this is the minimum and maximum of the levels on the top of the SSU, indicating the range of elevation of the upper surface. You may have to measure this with tape, if it is a tall wall.
Plan – numbers of plans on which this SSU appears
Elevation – numbers of elevations on which this SSU appears
Section – numbers of sections on which this SSU appears
Photograph – codes of photographs of this SSU
Static function – eg a load-bearing walls, a buttress, a vault, a dividing wall

Definition – This is the short line you have written in the context register.
Criteria of Distinction – which of the following did you use to distinguish this SU from other SSUs?

State of preservation – Is the SSU partially cut away, eroded, or incomplete in any other way?
Technique – How was this SSU constructed? eg Masonry, mudbrick, wood, monolithic marble
Finish – Was the surface of this SSU treated or rendered in any way, with paint, marble veneer, plaster or mortar? NB sometimes it is worth assigning a different SSU number to a SU of plaster over a wall, if it is well preserved and/or was a significant element in the wall.
Inclusions – Note any major inclusions in the SSU, either in the mortar or in the masonry (eg fragments of inscription in lower right, and reused Roman tile fragments in upper right)

Max. dimensions – give the maximum dimensions of the SSU, height then width.

Note that these voices only apply to masonry walls, not all SSUs
Description of Stone – Type(s), size, finish of stone surface
Description of Brick or tile – Red bipedales, sandy rectangular bricks or fragments of reused Roman brick?
Type of mortar – What type of bonding agent was used in the wall?
Height of Mortar beds (CM) – What is the average height of mortar beds between courses in cm?
Consistency and colour of Mortar – describe the hardness and the colour of the mortar noting inclusions of ash, pozzolana, brick dust, et cetera if they are visible.
Height of course (CM) – give the average height of a masonry course, not including mortar.
Height of 5 courses (CM) – measure the height of five courses, including mortar, of what you think is a representative stretch of the SSU.

Description – This is the short description of the unit. Positive and negative SSUs are described on the same sheet, but do think about the differences between them. When describing a negative SU, like the cut where a wall has collapsed describe its shape (eg descending northward), give its shape in plan and section (eg regular cut, e-w orientation), break of slope (eg shallow, sharp, imperceptible). When describing a positive SSU, you should take care not to repeat the descriptors you have just entered into separate boxes above but make a point to give as detailed a physical description of the SSU as possible.
Observations – For supplementary remarks about the SSU: eg ‘risk of contamination from pitfill (3004)’ or ‘probably the same as (2006) on the other side of wall [2245]’.

Relationships
SSUs cover, fill, abut and bond with other SSUs, and are cut by, covered by, abutted by SUs.

For ease of recognition on the paper, SSU numbers are surrounded by a square, or when typing square brackets [ ].

Interpretation – THIS IS AN OBLIGATORY FIELD – YOU MUST FILL IT IN! This is your hypothesis about the function or significance of the SSU. It may change in the course of the excavation, but it is important to suggest an explanation for the SU. Sometimes, these are very obvious and the Interpretation may be identical to the definition, (‘west wall of room 17’) or ‘destruction of wall 2003’.

Date / Period / Phase – These are the date of the SSU (if known, eg if inscribed with a date or with very particular diagnostic materials or archeometric analysis), Period and Phase of SSU. At the moment, we have not really divided the archaeology of the site into Periods and Phases, so it is best to leave these blank. If there are particular diagnostic materials (beer bottles, coins of Trajan) record these here.

Date of excavation – the date the SSU is removed, if it is.
Director – Elizabeth Fentress
Supervisor – put the name of your area supervisor in the lower right, CG or MM. Area supervisors are ultimately responsible for checking each scheda.

On the reverse of the scheda you now sketch a plan of the SU, remembering always the N is up on the page. This is not a scale plan, but rather a quick sketch for you to record the shape of the SU, perhaps some of its notable features. These sketches can be helpful for noting information about levels, location of finds, but all scale information MUST be properly planned on permatrace.

HRU Schede

Part of the rota of activities will be excavation and recording of the Human Remains, and the HRU scheda will be discussed as part of this.