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 accopunting more objectively and definitively for an archaeological excavation. A description of this system is the primary goal of this UGR website.
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 separately. 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. While work is in progress, beginning with the first day of excavation at any given unit, these websites are available in a beta format.
All the components of the cluster are listed in the right hand side of this website.
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