Having isolated, though stratigraphy, the primary data as found in the matrix of the soil, and having, through typological and integrative analysis, reaggregated the finds into broader classes, at both the intra- and the extra-referential level, one must proceed with a restructuring of what is left standing, a re-structuring that is both physical and descriptive:
- conservation addresses the remains in their physical consistency: this pertains to both the elements of the built environment that are left standing and to the object that have been extracted and stored;
- presentation offers an explanation of the same remains, an explanation that is addressed to both scholars and occasional visitors.
This effort is an essential part of the Grammar because both standing structures and objects are part of the excavator’s task to offer a full documentation. The data are the remaining witnesses of the operation that has brought them to light, and they ought to be preserved as such. The ecavator’s contribution is a fundamental moment in this process.
As an author, the excavator, generally the unit director, must provide a statement, however brief, of the work done. The conservator and the presentation specialist will in addition provide here their technical comment. As example, see
In standard practice, such concerns are not a factor in the excavation process, except perhaps for items that are immediately felt to be of great importance. A grammatical approach aims instead to channel attention to the need for preservation at the very moment that an element is exposed: the excavator is prompted to state how the preservation concern has been present in the determination of the disposition of any particular element, and how the process may be explained to those who confront physically the remains.
Back to top: Principles