Cataloging and Labeling Artifacts and Collections
When the completed PASS form has been processed by the Bureau, they will provide you with the P.A.S.S number assigned to the site. This is an important number. The number will look like this: 36SO271 The first two digits, 36 represent the state of Pennsylvania. Each state has a number. All sites recorded in Pennsylvania will begin with 36. Next are two letters. SO in this case represents Somerset County. Each county has a two-letter code. The remaining digits represent a number assigned to the site. These numbers are assigned sequentially for each county starting with the number 1. In this example 271 is the two hundred seventy-first site recorded in Somerset County, SO, in the state of Pennsylvania, 36. All information concerning the site and all artifacts found on the site are linked with this number.
Labeling artifacts found on a site is as important as recording the site. The site's P.A.S.S. number should be placed on each artifact found on the site. The preferred method for labeling artifacts is to use clear fingernail polish and Black India Ink. Place a dab of clear fingernail polish on the artifact. After the polish drys, place the number on top of the fingernail polish with the India Ink. Black India Ink and the pens used to apply the ink can be purchased where art supplies are sold. An alternative labeling method would be to apply the P.A.S.S. number directly on the artifact using a fine tipped permanent magic marker. Magic marker usually does not stick well on glossy surfaces, and can be easily rubber off. Some course materials will absorb magic marker so well that numbers become unreadable. These problems can be avoided by applying a dab of liquid whiteout to the artifact first, and then placing the number on the whiteout. The disadvantage to using whiteout is that it distracts from the appearance of the artifact. It is best to label the face of the artifact that would not normally be displayed. Labeling a large collection of artifacts can be a daunting task, particularly if the collection contains many small flakes or pottery fragments. At a bare minimum, artifacts collected from one site should be kept together in one container and not mixed with artifacts from other sites. The container should be clearly labeled with the name of the site and it's P.A.S.S. number. It is also a good idea to write the site name and P.A.S.S. number on an index card and place it inside the container with the artifacts. If any of the artifacts are routinely removed from the container for show or display, then those particular pieces should be labeled.
The importance of cataloging artifact collections cannot be over stressed. Memories fade with time. There have been too many instances were long time surface collectors have past on, leaving behind an exquisite collection of artifacts and no record of where the items where found. A collection of artifacts with no information on where they were found is of little value for archaeological study. Even if a collector chooses not to record a site with the Bureau of Historic Preservation, that collector should still devise some system to note where individual artifacts were found, so that future generations can catalog the collection and record the site.