This is version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 . It is not the current version, and thus it cannot be edited.

Back to current versionRestore this version

GUIDANCE for ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARCHIVING#

This section details best practice procedures for archaeological archiving throughout all the stages of an archaeological project. The workflow which follows should be recognisable to all those involved in archaeology but the actions and tasks which are described are specific to the creation, compilation, transfer and curation of a stable, consistent, accessible and sustainable archive.
The actions which apply to archiving in each project stage are explained first then the tasks which apply to these principles are set out as bulleted points.

1. Planning#

During this stage, project documentation will be produced which will set out the aims and objectives of the project, and the personnel, strategies, timetable, tasks and resources necessary for the work to take place. This is the stage at which the archiving requirements of the project should be determined, as follows.

1.1. The structure and character of the future archive #

The structure and character of the future archive should be agreed on and understood by all concerned, including the expected final content of the archive and how it will be managed, see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3. Principles.

• Standards should be set for project records (e.g. context records, object records, site plans) including their creation in both digital and analogue formats; what media will be used and procedures followed to ensure a consistent record, including digital file formats, file naming and classification schemes, metadata protocols and storage media. Where they exist, standards or conventions set in international, national, regional, local or specialist guidelines should be followed.
• The anticipated material (finds) assemblage and the archiving procedures to be followed during identification, recording, and management should be defined. This should detail the manuals to be used and any packaging, temporary storage, curation or movement requirements.
• Wherever they exist, international, national, regional, local and/or repository standards for archaeological archives and collections management should be followed.

1.2. Selection for archive#

A selection strategy should be agreed at the project planning stage. This should set out the criteria for selecting records, documents, data files and materials (finds) for inclusion in the project archive. It should also set out how things that have not been selected for archive will be dispersed or discarded. This strategy should be devised in accordance with the project research aims or management questions (see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 5). Account should be taken of any national, regional or local research frameworks and also of the collecting policies of the recipient repository.

• All components of the documentary record and the material assemblage should be subject to selection for retention in the archive at any time during the project lifecycle. Documents should be subject to version control and a clear digital management policy should be in place which enables the deletion of duplicate or superfluous digital files.
• A selection strategy should be drawn up with input from all the relevant members of the project team, including specialists and the curator of the repository or repositories into which the final archive will be received.

1.3. The security of the archive and disaster management planning#

It is vital that security or disaster management plans are devised and implemented that safeguard the archive, and also potential archive components, from damage and loss (see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 5). Such plans, which could be a part of the disaster management plan for the project itself, should be included in the planning documentation.

• Ensure the disaster management strategy includes the means of safeguarding the information that is contained in the archive, including the implementation of security copying or back up systems for both analogue and digital data. It should detail the standards which will be adhered to in order that the documentary and material archive will be created, collected and stored to ensure against damage, cross contamination, loss or theft.
• Ensure the disaster management strategy covers the security of the archive whilst on site/in the field, during transportation or movement of material objects (finds) and information, during analysis in the office or laboratory and in store during temporary care. Disaster plans should also be in place at archive repositories.

1.4. Tasks and resources#

At the planning stage the tasks and resources required for the project will be identified and allocated and it is important that the needs of the archiving process are included in these plans (see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 4).

• During the creation of the project plan, archiving activities and tasks should be programmed and timetabled. Important archiving milestones, for example obtaining landowner agreements, copyright and transfer of title agreements, or fulfilling deposition conditions, should be programmed in, and any scheduling issues which may affect these milestones should be noted.
• Qualified and experienced specialists, including conservators, should be consulted to ensure sufficient resource is identified and allocated to make the project archive ordered, internally consistent, accessible, stable, secure and properly cared for from the beginning of the project until the archive is safely deposited in an approved repository.

1.5. Identification and involvement of the repository #

Unless national, regional or local laws or regulations dictate where the archive must go, the recipient repository, or repositories, should be identified and involved at the project outset so that the future of the final archive can be guaranteed, and the archive compiled in accordance with the repository’s specifications. It is important to ensure that any national, regional or local legal regulations which apply to the project archive are followed and are described in the project planning documentation.

• Ensure that both the analogue documentary archive and the material (finds) archive are transferred to a repository, or repositories, approved in accordance with national, regional or local accreditation schemes (the Standard 4.3.6) and that the digital archive is deposited with a Trusted Digital Repository (the Standard 4.5.18). Any repository must provide nationally, regionally or locally recognised standards of curatorial care and good access to the archive for all future users.
• Ensure that the repository curators participate in the project planning process from the outset.

1.6. Transfer of title and copyright#

The rights of title to the archive and issues over copyright are complex and it is not possible in the Guide to go into any specific detail, as this would involve discussing varying national laws and procedures for several European countries. However, general principles do hold.

• Copyright and transfer of title, where appropriate, should be clarified and agreed during the project planning stage. If there are any copyright or transfer of title issues affecting the project archive, then it is important to ensure that these are resolved in accordance with national, regional or local legislation.

2. DATA GATHERING#

During this stage of the project, planning is put into effect and archaeological data and materials are collected, either in the field or elsewhere.

2.1. Ensuring access to the archaeological archive #

Project staff and researchers will need to access the archive contents both during and after the lifetime of the project. It is therefore important to document, organise and index the documentary and material (finds) archive in order to keep it comprehendible and accessible (See STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3). The following practices should be employed throughout the lifecycle of the project, with the resulting documentation also becoming part of the archive.

• It should be easy to find a way through all parts of the archive. The archive should be fully indexed, beginning with an overall catalogue of contents, which leads on to deeper levels of individual indices for other elements such as context records, finds lists and drawings.
• A project summary should be created that will introduce researchers to the aims and objectives, scope, location, content and results of the project. It should include links to any previous work undertaken on the project/site. The summary should be kept updated and complete until the project is finalised and the archive transferred to a repository
• Project documentation should make clear how and why the archaeological records and materials (finds) were created, collected, selected and analysed. This could include information such as recording methodologies or sampling strategies. This is an essential tool for both the data creator and the researcher. It facilitates data management (for best practice advice on digital data management in archaeology see http://Guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/) during the lifecycle of a project and also acts as an aid to understanding and interrogating the archive once the project is complete. (Examples of project documentation include: project designs, written schemes of investigation etc and their revisions, recording systems and techniques, selection and sampling strategies, manuals used, classification systems in use such as numbering systems or identifiers and translations of codes or abbreviations)
• The application of metadata is essential for accessing the digital archive. Metadata provides summary information about a digital file or dataset to enable the user easily to access and use the information, or decide whether it will be useful or not.
• In the case of digital data, it is important to follow international metadata standards to ensure that information can be clearly understood and easily re-used by both people and computers. Choosing the metadata standard best suited for the information can sometimes be difficult. A project should work closely with a Trusted Digital Repository when determining how the digital archive must be described and which metadata standards to choose. (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative: http://dublincore.org/, see especially http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/ for the basic element set. CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model: www.cidoc-crm.org, the Inspire Directive: http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu).
• Metadata can be applied on three levels:
  • Project: this should describe the general context, geographical situation and time span of the project and the files that belong to the project.
  • Content: this level includes all glossaries, vocabularies and variables that have been used when recording data with a concordance of what the terms mean.
  • File: this should describe the specific content of the file.

2.2. Validity and comprehensibility of information#

It is essential to ensure that all the elements of an archive form a seamless whole facilitating movement between each part of the archive. For example, it must be possible to make connections between context records, finds records and photographs and one should also be able to trace individual finds back to the context, layer, trench and location. It should also be possible to research parallels in the wider archaeological record (See STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3). This is a duty not only for the project manager but for the project team as a whole:

• The relationships between the project and the wider archaeological record should be clear. References and links to such things as research frameworks, associated publications and reports, and similar or related projects, will make it possible to interrogate the project archive within international, national, regional and local contexts.
• The relationship between the archive and its origin should be clear, whether that origin is a site or a finds assemblage; and it should be possible to link all parts of the project archive back to their exact point of origin. For example, site plans and sections should be geo-referenced; finds should be marked or labelled with both a site identifier and an appropriate context or individual identifier.
• The relationships within the project archive should be clear. All data and images should be able to be referenced back to associated materials or documentation, and vice versa. For example the drawings should be linked to the context record, photographs to the site plans, and object records link accurately back to the correct objects.
• Wherever standardised and accepted terminology controls exist, such as glossaries or thesauri, they should be used and cited in the project metadata. If they do not exist then at the very least it should be ensured that terminologies are consistently used throughout the project record and that the relevant glossaries are included in the archive. Digital information retrieval and manipulation is reliant on searching and filtering within the data. For example if the term ‘posthole’ is used in one place and ‘post-hole’ in others, effective and efficient searching and filtering becomes impossible.

2.3. The creation of a stable archive #

Archiving is a process that aims to preserve information and material for posterity. The physical products of an archaeological project are unique and irreplaceable; therefore the project team should ensure that adequate care is taken of it from the project outset. Procedures and practices should be followed which promote the lifespan of the archive (see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3):

• During data-gathering, especially in the field, common sense measures for keeping the archive, clean, dry, appropriately managed, packaged and stored should be applied.
• Objects requiring conservation should be stored in a way that maintains the conditions in which they were found, for example wet organic objects should not be allowed to dry out. They should also be brought to a qualified, experienced conservator as soon as possible after recovery.
• During the analysis stage, archives are usually held in normal office conditions or in temporary storage facilities until final deposition in an approved repository. It is essential that facilities and office practice should not endanger the safety and lifespan of the archive. For example by not smoking, drinking or eating over site plans, leaving photographs in strong sunlight, or by storing archives in damp cellars, near water sources or where rodents, insects or other pests may be present.
• One of the prerequisites is that digital files must be readable in the future. To make these files sustainable and readable they should be transferred as soon as possible from portable carriers such as local hard disks, CDs, memory cards and data sticks to servers that are under permanently controlled, well managed, safe conditions.
• Standards for care and curation of the archive (chapter 4 of the Guidance) should be employed until the archive is transferred to a recognised or trusted repository.

It is the responsibility of all to use methods and materials in the creation of the archive which will aid its durability. Since most individual countries and states have their own specifications on drawing mediums, storage boxes, etc. it is not possible to specify exact materials in this Guide. Country, regional or state specific bibliographies should be referred to in this instance http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/arches. However, whether in the field or elsewhere general principles apply:

• Appropriate materials should be used as carriers of information and as packing and containers for the archive. For example, paperwork not in active use should be stored in acid free boxes, analogue photos stored in polyester hangers or acid free inert sleeves, and sensitive finds stored with the appropriate humidity and temperature controls. Good quality drafting film, paper, inks etc should be used which will be durable over time.
• Appropriate materials and procedures should be used to provide the information and labels on the documents and finds. For example, if drawing on drafting film, the pencils used should not be so soft that the drawing rubs off during handling or storage. All handwriting, whether on paper records, drawings or labels should be clear, durable, legible, securely attached and written in a format specified by project data management strategy.
• Appropriate treatment should be given to all finds before they become part of the archive. For example, finds should be clean and dry (unless otherwise recommended) before storage and packed in appropriate packaging material. Any sensitive or fragile material should be treated by a conservator-restorer as soon as possible.

2.4. Disaster management#

During data gathering it is essential, whether in the field or elsewhere, to develop and maintain a strategy for securing the archive against damage and loss. Archaeological archives are unique and irreplaceable. Whilst any disaster may seem a remote possibility, accidents can and do happen and there can be hazards in all environments.

A good disaster management plan identifies the areas of risk and puts in place a contingency plan in the event of any of those areas of risk developing into something real. The security of the archive should be an important part of this plan.

The following factors should be taken into account. Is the location in an area susceptible to flood or theft? Are buildings damp, do they leak, are they secure, and are any archive holdings a fire risk? Are all storage areas safe, is the shelving secure, has the electrical wiring been tested? Such a plan includes setting up a disaster reaction team and notification system, an IT security plan, systems for salvage, clearance and cleaning, requirements for equipment, fire prevention systems and telephone numbers for emergency services. (For fuller advice see ‘Disaster Management Planning for Archaeological Archives, IFA Paper no 8, Kenneth Aitchison, 2004, IFA and AAF’ http://www.archaeologists.net/publications/papers)

• It is important that a project disaster management plan is in place during this stage and that all project staff are aware of its contents and understand their role in its implementation. Conditions will differ according to location whether one is on site, in temporary accommodation or in the office/laboratory/finds/archive store, but developing a disaster management plan is no less valid.
• Information on digital carrier media is vulnerable to corruption or loss. It is of primary importance that a system of security copying and regular back ups is maintained and that the security/back up copy is held in an alternative location wherever possible (See ADS).

2.5. Selection and retention #

During this stage a clear strategy for what documentary and material (finds) archive elements are to be selected for retention should be both understood and implemented by the project team and it’s use monitored by the project manager. The selection and retention strategy should be flexible and open to amendment; for example the discovery of unexpected finds or stratigraphy may affect the decision about what was previously identified for dispersal.

3. ANALYSIS, REPORTING AND ARCHIVE TRANSFER#

During this stage the principles outlined in section 2 "Data Gathering" still apply, but there are some extra considerations.

3.1. Maintaining the integrity of the original data when creating new information #

Documentation created during the data gathering stage should not be altered as it contains scientific facts or results with minimum added interpretation and holds information that cannot easily be obtained again. Once the project enters the analysis stage more layers of an analytical and interpretative character begin to be added to this data.

• If original written records are to be amended or enhanced, use inks or pencils of a different colour. This enables future researchers to understand the thought processes and sequences of interpretation that apply to the analysis of those records.
• Digital datasets created during data gathering should be ‘frozen’ and secured and any subsequent work should be carried out on copies of this data. This procedure maintains the integrity of the original data and provides a back up should subsequent versions become corrupted or unusable.
• Practice version control in the creation of new digital files that contain data from existing files; name files with different version numbers to show the order in which they were created and amended or updated.

3.2. The care and treatment of materials during analysis #

During analysis both documents and materials (finds) are normally dispersed to various specialists for investigation and conservation procedures.

• It is important that all internal and external specialists are made aware of and are obliged to follow, the project data management and archiving strategy as developed in the planning stage and outlined in the previous section, including for example, file naming, terminology and glossary controls, indexing and ordering systems and version control management.
• The integrity of the archive should be maintained as information and material gets re-ordered or moved around. If any material archive is re-ordered, repacked or re-boxed during these analyses or treatment then this must be fully documented and this information included in or returned with the archive.
• If destructive methods of analysis, such as thin sectioning or carbon dating, are employed then a record of this procedure, its result and its effects on any remaining material must be recorded in the archive.
• The security of the archive must be maintained, and any dispersal of material objects (finds) and/or records to and from external specialists should be recorded in the archive management documentation, and the chosen method of transportation should be sufficiently secure.

3.3. Special treatment of human remains#

• In some cultures human remains have significant meaning or an ethical or religious importance. Where applicable the national, regional or local law or guidelines regarding their treatment should always be followed.

3.4. Implementing and refining selection strategies#

The original selection and retention strategy should remain in force, but should be kept under regular review. This is especially useful at the stage where finds assemblages are evaluated for their potential for analysis and again during analysis when a secondary selection process may be undertaken after re-identification procedures.

• It is important that the selection and retention strategy is reviewed against the project research or management objectives as the project progresses and that any changes to the selection and retention strategy are recorded and agreed by all concerned, including the recipient repository.
• Any finds discarded as a result of this process should be documented as having been discarded and when and why this happened. If any finds have been reburied, then their reburial location should be recorded.
• Selection and discard should not lead to any substantial loss of information which detracts from the project research or management objectives.

3.5. Data management#

During the analysis stage, it is likely that more than one person will be working on the project data and creating new files in the project records.

• Everyone involved in this process should be conversant with the file naming and structure protocols that were defined at the planning stage, in order that all the project information is easily maintained and able to be accessed.
• During the analysis stage it is important to employ version control methods to keep track of edits and different versions of the project documentation. This will also provide an audit trail of revisions and updates, up to and including the final versions.

3.6. Preparation for the transfer of the archive to a recognised or trusted repository#

The curator of the recipient repository/repositories should be involved in the project from the planning stage and the project should follow the repository’s deposition guidance from the outset in order that preparation for transfer will be easy (see STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3). The following should be standard for any submission:

• The project archive should be accompanied by a project summary and overall contents list.
• All parts of the archive should be fully indexed and ordered, and the archive should contain a master index to its component parts.
• All parts of the project documentary and material archive should carry the project ID and classification information (object, photo, context number etc)
• Project documentation, such as recording systems and techniques, selection and sampling strategies, project designs, recording manuals etc should accompany the archive.
• All digital files should be ordered in a clear directory structure and employ folder and file naming conventions which aid retrieval of information. The metadata and metadata policy for the digital archive should accompany the archive.
• The digital archive should be virus free on transfer and a copy of the archive should be retained until successful transfer is assured.
• The material and documentary archive should be packaged in materials and boxes suitable for long term preservation in storage in accordance with national, regional, local or repository standards and in sizes as specified by the repository.
• Where appropriate, material objects (finds) should be cleaned before being put into storage. Any cleaning should have been undertaken by or after consultation with a conservator-restorer and in accordance with any national, regional, local or specialist guidelines.
• Prior to long term storage any wet or damp objects (finds) should have received the appropriate conservation treatment. Wet or damp objects should have been dried out in a controlled way, with the exception of metal from wet contexts. Artefacts which have dried out must not be re-hydrated.
• Finds selected for x-radiography, either for identification purposes or during the conservation process, should be x-rayed prior to long term storage and the associated x-ray records (which should be stored with the digital/photographic/paper archive as appropriate) should be fully cross referenced to the objects.
• The material (finds) archive should be ordered according to its material type, packing and storage requirements. Different types of objects, such as pottery and animal bone, should be kept separate.

4. CARE AND CURATION OF THE ARCHIVE #

Although this section appears after those on planning, data gathering and analysis and report writing, it should be made clear that care of the archive components should actually begin to take place as soon as any data is created or material collected and continue on throughout the project; it is not something which should only take place once the archive has been deposited at the end.

The project team should ensure that all elements of the archive are maintained to the best standards possible throughout the lifecycle of the project. (See STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 3).

Therefore this section should be read as applying to every stage of a project up to and including permanent storage of the archive. As such it has been necessary to target the advice to different situations identified for the purpose of this guidance as:

Active use: applies to when the project team members including conservator-restorers and specialists are actively working on project data and archaeological materials.

No longer in active use: applies to when some or all parts of the project have been completed and the use of some or all items from the documentary and/or material archive is finished, but the project archive has not been deposited into a repository for long term curation.

Temporary storage: applies to the storage of documentary and material archive components after the archive has been compiled for transfer, and project work is thus completed, but before it has been deposited with a repository for long term curation.

Long term curation: applies to the long term care and management of an archaeological collection in a repository.

4.1. Care of documentary and material archive components in active use#

• During data gathering, analysis and report writing, archive components in active use must be maintained in the best conditions possible, and every effort must be made to ensure that the risks of damage, deterioration, fading, damp, theft and loss are minimised.
• Whilst in general use by project teams and specialists, all documentary and material archive should be handled with due care and attention. Wherever possible both material and documentary archives should be protected in the appropriate storage boxes, sleeves or cabinets. Digital data should be subject to internationally, nationally, regionally or locally recognised information technology management procedures.
• Appropriate storage conditions for all elements of the documentary and material (finds) archive must be maintained throughout the phase of active use. It is important, for instance, to recognise that conserved and un-conserved objects may require different environments.

4.2. Care of documentary and material archive components no longer in active use#

Once digital data are no longer in active use a system of regular back ups along with good data management housekeeping may be no longer enough to protect the data, especially in cases where transfer to a digital repository can take a number of years. Technological change can be rapid and the physical media on which data are stored are not permanent. What went into storage may quickly become obsolete and unreadable. Therefore this Guide recommends the preservation of digital data by migration: i.e. continually migrating information from older hardware and software to newer systems. Some archaeological practices may not have the resources to act as a de facto digital preservation repository, however there are a few simple steps which can be taken to ensure the maintenance of the digital archive once the data is finalised and out of active use:

• Once documents and images created on analogue media are complete they should be moved as soon as possible from active office use into archive storage until eventual deposition.
• The guidance provided in sections 4.3 – 4.5 should be followed as far as is practically possible for all documentary and material archive in temporary storage prior to deposition.
• Once work on individual digital files has ceased they should be moved to the project archive and that should be recorded.
• Digital files should be fully indexed within the project archive and certified as virus free before storage.
• Once in the project archive all digital files should be actively managed as set out in 4.4 below, in order to prevent obsolescence.

4.3. Accommodation for archives in temporary storage#

It is highly desirable that the temporary storage time prior to final deposition is kept as short as possible. However it has to be accepted that in some cases, especially where projects are large or long running, temporary accommodation of the archive can last many years whilst analysis and report writing are undertaken. Wherever possible, temporary storage conditions should adhere to the national, regional or local rules for permanent storage of archaeological collections.

• Ensure that any stores housing the documentary or material archive are not at risk of destruction or damage by vibration, contamination or breakage through natural or man-made causes such as fire, floods or tidal waves, earthquakes or landslides, explosions or pollution, either on-site or in the vicinity. Avoid and protect against rodents, insects and other pests.
• Ensure that supply systems for electricity, gas, and especially for water are kept well away from storage areas, and that the building has a fire detection system.
• Minimise the amount of movement of stored objects and store archive materials in the dark.
• Ensure that stores are kept at the temperature and relative humidity appropriate for the objects according to national, regional or local recommendations. It is generally accepted that there is an increasing risk of microbiological activity above 60% relative humidity, and increased brittleness at a very low relative humidity. However across Europe with its variety of climatic zones, different limits have been recommended and there is no general agreement, either upon temperature or humidity, but it is established that most archive categories last longer at lower temperatures and at lower relative humidity. Reference should be made to national, regional or local standards and bibliographical information for these can be found on the BIBLIOGRAPHY part of the ARCHES website.

4.4. Long term curation of the documentary archive#

See STANDARDS for archaeological archiving Chapter 2.

• Digital data
  • All files should be provided with data documentation. Data documentation enables clear access to the data and helps prevent loss of information during the process of data refreshment and migration, as the character of the data is well understood. All files should be provided with sufficient metadata to ensure that the data in the file can be easily accessed and understood. This will enable digital data to be useful to someone other than its creator in years to come.
  • Data refreshment should be practised. Digital data should be checked for readability on a regular basis, and where necessary data should be copied from one magnetic or optical medium to another as the original nears the end of its useful life.
  • Data migration should be undertaken according to current best practice principles in data and information management, which can change rapidly. To make files independent of the machines and the software they were made with, files for archiving should wherever possible be transferred from proprietary formats onto stable and persistent preservation formats, and migrated onto successive versions of these formats as software updates or changes (Examples are .xml for text and spreadsheets, .jpg and .tiff for images, and .dxf and .svg for vector drawings. Proprietary formats such as .doc, .pix, and .ai should be avoided. Sometimes a proprietary format is allowed because it is widely accepted –de facto- standard such as the .pdf format (PDF/A (ISO 19005)). All files and metadata should be validated during this process and earlier versions should not be discarded until the newer one has been checked.

It is not possible to discuss in detail the standards for digital archiving in this Guide. Detailed guidance on digital archiving can be found in the OAIS reference model (OAIS - Open Archival Information System (ISO 14721)), the Guide to Good Practice section of the Archaeology Data Service website (http://Guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/), the Digital Archiving and Networking Services (DANS), and websites that follow or instigate developments and discuss these, such as JISC (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/about)and the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage (FISH)(http://www.fish-forum.info/). For more information on how data can be linked and openly accessed and re-used the site of Linked Open Data is a good starting point (http://linkeddata.org/home). A practical guide on how to organise research data is given by the UK Data Archive (Van den Eynden, V. et al 2011. “Managing and sharing data; best practices for researchers” University of Essex, Colchester, Essex http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/media/2894/managingsharing.pdf).

• Analogue documentation

Analogue images and documents may take different forms with specific archiving requirements. Several general points may be articulated:

• • All paper should be stored flat in acid free, dustproof cardboard boxes.
  • Drawings on drafting film should be stored flat in dust free containers.
  • All paperwork should be fully indexed and separate classes of documents should be grouped together. An overall archive index and a title sheet marking different groups of documents should be present.
  • Documents of the same type should be organised in a logical order, by context, date and object number as appropriate.
  • Any binding or labelling which could damage analogue information, such as elastic bands, staples, paperclips or self adhesive labels or tapes should be removed.
  • Boxes should be stored in a dust free, dry and preferably dark environment, and well away from environmental hazards such as damp, insects or rodents.

• Photographic (analogue) material

Generally, photographs should be treated as specified in the section above. However since photographic images are very vulnerable to deterioration in poor storage conditions, several particular points apply:

• • Prints, negatives and transparencies, including x-radiographs should be stored in acid free paper enclosures or polyester sleeves in archival boxes or dust proof cabinets.
  • All films and photographs should be fully indexed and labelled with the project identifier and other appropriate information such as the film or frame number, in a manner which does not damage the image or have the potential to rub off during handling.
  • Photographic material is especially sensitive to light damage, which causes fading, and it keeps better in a cold environment. Photographic material should be stored in boxes or cabinets in a dark, cool, dust free environment and well away from any potential environmental hazards.

4.5. Long term curation of the material archive #