Debate: Should we keep old excavation notes exactly as written or clean them up?

I was at the Montville dig site in Nebraska last summer when a 1950s field journal had a note that said 'rock layer looks like a bad haircut' - totally subjective but oddly useful. The other side says it clutters the record and we should standardize everything for future researchers. How do you handle old quirky field notes in your own work?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason1126d ago

Gently disagree with the "bad haircut" note being useful, lol. I mean subjective comparisons like that can actually confuse people who dig later and don't get the joke. Better to keep it but bracket in a simple explanation like "unusually wavy bedding lines" so future crews aren't scratching their heads.

casey_barnes6d ago

Mostly agree but at the same time it's not like anyone's life depends on a geology field note. If someone gets confused they'll just ask or figure it out. Feel like overthinking it a bit.