The term “Urkesh Global Record” refers to three interrelated entities:
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1. A system and its underlying theory
The UGR system was designed to produce a type of publication capable of accounting more objectively and definitively for an archaeological excavation.
Underlying the whole project is a broadly conceived theoretical effort, which I have articulated in a volume entitled A Critique of Archaeological Reason. The main thrust of that effort is the development of a specific theory of excavation. While how-to manuals abound, research on theory is lagging behind, and mere techniques are often presented as methods.
A synthetic overview of the axioms that underlie the system is given in the introduction. This overview dates back to the earliest stages of my effort, when its full implications could not yet be fully understood. It is indicative of the coherence with which the system has developed over time.
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2. A cluster of websites
As applied to the specific data from the excavations at ancient Urkesh, the system developed into a number of websites, or digital books, which present, in full detail, the entire record resulting from the excavations.
The cluster is published as the Urkesh Global Record Series (UGRS), and it is described in a separate section of this website.
While work is in progress during excavations at any given unit, these websites are available in a beta format.
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3. An introductory website
This website serves as an introduction to both the system and the cluster.
Back to top: Three UGRs: disambiguation