Marking finds

[eppingera]

What are some safe ways to mark points and artifacts in order to document where they were found but not damage or disfigure them permanently? I've seen what looks like white out marked with ink or marker written right on the artifact...

 

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[unclemac]

cloud storage and flash drives as well as your hard drive. A lot of you already do this for everything digital now, I know I do and I am not exactly a millennial....hell even us old guys don't put film in our cameras any more.

 

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[Charl]

Thought this might be useful to some:

http://www.westernartifacts.com/museum.htm#clovis


How To Professionally "Label" Your Artifacts



Materials Needed: These are obtainable at just about any art supply store, and can even be ordered on-line over the internet
1 Small calligraphy pen holder (Also termed a "quill" pen)
1 (or more, as these do tend to wear out) very fine calligraphy pen tip, also known as "nibs". I use a number 104, but don't take this as gospel truth, as other sizes may produce more favorable results for you.
1 small bottle of white acrylic WATER SOLUBLE paint
1 small bottle of clear nail polish
1 "composition" log book
(Please see the photos at the bottom of this long-winded article)
Choosing A "Code System"


Many years ago, when I first started labeling my artifacts, I used prefixes of "P" for purchased artifacts, "A" for artifacts I obtained from an auction, and so on, followed by a unique number for each prefix. Later I got smart and took a friend's advice, specifically, I now label artifacts with 2 numbers, separated by a "dot". The first number indicates the number of the Artifact "Log Book" which contains the information about the artifact, and the second number is the sequential number of the artifact within this log book. This method is much simpler and allows me to start with artifact #1 every time I start a brand new log book. This prevents artifact numbers from becoming too long to fit on the relic itself. It also makes locating an artifact MUCH easier, as with the old system, "P"-items became interspersed with "A"-items and after a couple of log books it became a real chore to locate anything ! Some people like to include the County and State where the artifact was found in the artifact's label. If the relic being labeled is large enough, I would encourage this practice. Another mistake I made early on was "doubting" my ability to find artifacts out in the field, so I included my "personal finds" in the same log book as purchased artifacts. This proved to be a mistake as the personal finds logged made it even more difficult to locate items quickly. Even if you're only a semi-serious hunter, I would encourage you to use a separate log book for personal finds. The only drawback to an "All numeric" system is, if a log book were to become lost, it would be near impossible to re-construct the artifacts' information. For this reason, I keep photo copies of my log books in a safety deposit box, and I update additional photo copies every 10 pages or so.
What To Record In The Log Book


First of all, be sure to label the cover of a new log book with a title ("Indian Artifacts Logbook"), the starting date for the entries which are to go into this book (and the ending date once you have filled-up the log book) as well as the number of the log book itself. I put clear tape over the log book's cover labels so that they won't wear away with time. I also leave the first 3 and last 3 pages of each log book BLANK, in order to be able to add an index, or "Pre-log" notes at a later date. (This is especially useful to define other "codes" which are used in the logbook along with an explanation of the meaning of the codes.) Next, for each artifact, I put the number of the artifact in the log book's left hand margin. (If you use the numbering system I recommend above, you don't have to include the first number in the log book, since this is the number of the log book itself) Next, to the right side of the margin which has the artifact's number, I like to record the date that I obtained the artifact in the log books center (wide) column, and I record the price I paid for the artifact in the right hand margin on this first line. Follow this with a "Scientific", impersonal description of the item, which should include: Size, color(s), material it's made from, the "type name" of the artifact (Dovetail, Rose Springs, etc.), what sort of tool it is (Arrowhead, knife blade, scraper, etc.), the period it is from (Paleo, Archaic, etc.), the age of the artifact within it's specified period followed by any other distinguishing "features" the relic might have. (color "patterns", basal grinding, flaking patterns such as micro-flaking, fire-popping, damage, etc.) Next, if you have this information, it's always wise to record the person who found the artifact, the location where it was found in as much detail as possible and the date that it was found, if known, as well as who you purchased the artifact from and his/her current contact information including address, phone number, email address, etc. At a bare minimum, one should record at least the County and State where the relic was recovered. Finally, you should record the dimensions of the artifact as: length x width x thickness or height. One way to get around recording measurements of the artifact, is to trace an outline of the artifact below the log book number; I'm lazy, so this is my preference. An example of a properly documented artifact would be: 2.15 - 1/15/07 - 150.00 Log book 2, 15th artifact documented in this log book, purchased on 1/15/07 for 150.00. A small, thick light red jasper Malaga Cove Leaf knife blade from the Developmental phase dating between 700 and 1,500 years old. Recovered near Old Mill Creek in Sonoma County, CA by John Smith in 1972. Has ancient damage to the tip and 1 tang. Purchased from Mark Dunning, 1111 some street, Yakima, WA followed by phone and email address.
Getting Started


Before attempting to label a real artifact, you should locate a smooth-faced stone, which you can practice on. When you're comfortable that you're getting the desired results with your "practice stone" proceed with labeling the real artifacts in the following fashion. First identify side A and side B of the artifact. (Side A is the side you intend to show if the artifact was placed in a display case, while side B is the "less attractive" side of the artifact.) The label should be placed on side B. Locate a fairly flat section on side B for the label. Try to avoid ledges and hinges for the label area because ink which gets into these areas will be most difficult to remove. Choose the flattest area you can find. (Tip: If the artifact is broken, see if it's feasible to put the label on the broken edge, leaving both faces of the artifact "clean")

How To Use The Calligraphy Pen



First, press the pen tip into the pen's plastic body. Shake up the bottle of paint. Dip the tip of the pen into the paint far enough to fill the pen tip's "reservoir". There are a couple of tricks I use before actually trying to label the artifact. Normally, the very first stroke from a freshly loaded pen tip comes out too thick, whereas the second stroke is usually much finer and gives much more desirable results, so, while holding the artifact between my thumb and index finger, I "dab" the entire bottom of the pen tip's reservoir on the base of my thumb, then I dip the very tip of the pen into the ink on the base of my thumb and I then touch the very tip of the pen to my thumbnail to "prime" the flowing of the ink from the pen's tip. Then I gently touch the tip of the pen to the artifact to draw-out a bead of ink. The pen should not actually touch the artifact, but ideally one should let the ink/paint be "drawn" from the pen tip onto the surface of the artifact with each stroke. (This DOES take some practice !) Once the label is completed, let the paint dry for 3 to 5 minutes, then cover the label with a thin layer of clear nail polish so that the label is "water proof".


How To Log Personal Finds



First of all, start a new "Personal Finds" Logbook, as personal finds can usually be logged in more detail than purchased artifacts. Be sure to leave the first 3 and the last 3 pages BLANK, for later notes and code explanations. Archaeological coding is usually done by a combination of a State designator, County designator, Site number and artifact number from this given site. I've discarded this method in favor of the simplified "All Numeric" system with one slight addition; I label the "Personal Finds" log books as "P1, P2, etc." (P standing for "Personal") to differentiate them from other logs used to record purchased artifacts. Be generous when recording personal finds. I always include a detailed map of each site, along with "mileage measurements" (from given "fixed" points, such as an intersection) and land "features" of the site (hills, creeks, groupings of trees, and so on) in order to facilitate easy location of the site for future outings. I give a name to each site I've discovered myself, and the detailed information and map are ONLY added to the very first log entry for this site. I then add the site name to one of the first 3 blank pages and list the page number which contains the site's map and description for the first log entry from this site. If a site is especially productive, I also add the page numbers of subsequent site trips, if those trips were productive and resulted in "log-able finds". In subsequent site trips, I always mark the date of the trip and the general condition of the site on that date before recording the artifacts recovered during that trip. (Often the condition of any site will change with the seasons, and some sites may become more difficult to search due to vegetation growth or other factors during a specific season.)






How To Remove Labels



If you've used the proper type of water soluble ink (paint), nail polish remover on a Q-Tip should remove the label completely and without a trace. BE SURE to try this on your "Practice stone", to verify that you're using the proper materials ! Also, while labeling an artifact, if you're not happy with the results, use a damp cloth to erase the label and try again.


Additional Miscellaneous Notes



Water soluble black ink can be used, but I prefer to always use white, whenever possible. Be VERY careful with rock items which have a "Porous" surface and DON'T try to label these at all !... when labeling artifacts, you don't want to do ANYTHING to an ancient artifact which is NOT TOTALLY reversible ! IF an artifact's surface is too porous to label, I use one of the last 3 blank pages to list the item numbers of "unlabelled" artifacts, so that their logbook entry can also be located easily. (This is also the way to document artifacts which are too small or too delicate to label.) A desktop magnifying glass with built-in florescent lighting helps tremendously while attempting to make the label as small as possible. Always remember: A properly labeled and documented collection is MUCH more valuable than an un-documented collection... and monetary considerations set aside, properly documenting artifacts is the responsible thing to do; we are all simply "caretakers" of these beautiful pieces of history, and they will pass into another caretaker's hands at some point in time, so we should always strive to "pass on" as much information as we can about each artifact thorough proper documentation to the next owner.