Attempting to standardize the documentation of buried stratigraphic layers using loose field notes is a fast track to data corruption. When a researcher is standing in a deep test pit, the subtle transition from a "Yellowish Silty Sand" to a "Brownish Sandy Clay" must be captured with mathematical and scientific precision. If the depth measurements and soil pedology aren't explicitly locked down while the profile is exposed, the spatial relationship between the artifacts and their context is lost forever. This Memento system acts as a rigid, digital stratigraphic ledger, forcing field teams to map up to five distinct sub-surface contexts into a standardized, auditable matrix.
Locking the Geospatial Baseline
A subsurface record is only as valuable as its connection to the master site map. The template begins by enforcing absolute administrative and spatial anchors.
It requires the standard "Date" and "Recorder Name", but immediately demands the specific "Project No" and "Test Pit Nbr"—with a specific hint that the number must match Trimble GPS data. The user must classify the "Test Pit Type" (STP, TP, Auger, Geotech) and define the exact "Length Width" of the excavation. By forcing the user to declare if the form "relates to" a previous pit number, the database ensures that vertical and horizontal expansions maintain a perfect digital chain of custody across the entire site.
The Pedological Matrix
The core of the database is its relentless clinical audit of the earth itself. It abandons subjective descriptions in favor of hard soil science parameters across multiple contexts.
For each stratigraphic layer ("Context 1" through "Context 5"), the system demands the exact "Depth From" and "Depth To" in millimeters. It then forces a scientific classification of the soil pedology: the "Modifier" (Light, Medium, Dark), the "Colour" (utilizing a 16-point scale), the "Consistency" (Friable, Firm, Compacted), and the "Hydration". The researcher must explicitly define the "Texture" and "Composition" (e.g., Clayey Sand vs. Silty Clay). This granular data ensures that the stratigraphic profile is scientifically sound and ready for laboratory analysis.
Provenance and Quality Control
The final phase of the recording form links the geology to the archaeology. It serves as the primary provenance record for recovered materials.
The researcher must identify if "Artefacts" were present in each specific context, classifying them as "Aboriginal", "Historical", or "Potential". It requires a verification of whether a "Stratigraphic Profile Drawn" and if a "Dumpy Level Form" has been completed to ground the vertical elevations. Supported by a dedicated "Photo Sketch" field and a final "Checked Data" boolean gate, the system guarantees that the field data is complete, verified, and inextricably linked to the physical artifacts before the test pit is backfilled.