Finds marking

[Digger]

This is a bit of a stab in the dark. Heard a rumour that, in France?, there actually is a Gizmo for stamping site codes and context numbers on finds (instead of writing on a couple of tons of roof tile). Has anyone heard of said Gizmo???

[monitor lizard]

Aye, the gizmo (don't know what it is called) is the same as that used to mark use-by-dates on eggs, and to label parts for things like airplanes and so on.

I know of some groups that have investigated it, and apparently it works well for pretty much the gambit of material types, and can mark small fragments as well as larger pieces. Don't think anyone has used it for an archive as yet, but may be mistaken on that. I do know that at least one small test run was carried out sucessfully.

A goggle search might tell you what the technology is called...

Cheers

ML

[Digger]

Thanks monitor! Cheers for pointing us in a direction. Will search around and see what I can find.[8D]

[disheartened]

We used it on the IFA training the trainers project at Mont Beuvray a couple of years ago. can't remember what it was called, I think it was probably really inventively referred to as the labelling/numbering gadget/gizmo thing. I was impressed with it, you can number thousands of pieces very easily, but it is tricky, you have to watch what you are doing. The machine we were using was quite old (I think), and it was easy to miss the number, or get the wrong context number, and so on, but then that can easily go wrong doing it all by hand. They were using for the entire archive at Mont Beuvray, a massive undertaking. The machine was good, but probably best for huge assemblages of fairly sturdy material. I have an idea that we were told it was fairly pricey to buy, which is why it wasn't used more frequently.

[Digger]

I think that is the site that was mentioned. Bloke called Andy B. told me originally. Think he was out there also.

[angi]

Dammit, I had just added that stamp to my list of "Archaeological Things to Invent" !!