Plan (archaeology)

Archaeological plan can either take the form of Excavated features are drawn in three dimensions with the help of drawing conventions such as hachures.

They are linked to the site recording system by the inclusion of known grid points and height readings, taken with a dumpy level or a total station (see surveying).

Plan and section drawings have an interpretive function as well as being part of the recording system, because the draughts-person makes conscious decisions about what should be included or emphasised.

It is also common practice that planning is done for each context on a separate piece of perma-trace that conforms to these 5m grid squares.

The site grid should be tied into a national geomatic database such as the Ordnance survey Archaeological planners use various symbols to denote characteristics of features and contexts and while conventions vary depending on practitioner, the following are representative: On sites with little stratigraphic depth, a pre-excavation multi-context plan is sometimes made of all visible features before any excavation is carried out.