Help:Soil Description Example
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[edit] Soil Description Example
The basic structure is a set of data boxes for which the user has to enter descriptions on the site location and contexts. Before descriptions of contexts, the background information of the site has to be entered. This consists firstly of a Site Data page where information is entered on the surrounding geology, soil types and vegetation. An example of a filled in site data page is shown in the Site Data image below.
After Site Data has been saved, information can then be entered on a page for a Trench or Section by clicking on Add after 'Add a new trench/section:'. This is located near the base of the Site Data page . The geomorphology and hydrology is then entered on the Trench/Section page for a trench or section excavated or investigated within the site. After the page on Trench/Section has been saved, information on another trench or section can be added by returning to the Site Data page and clicking again on Add near the base of the page. This can be done as many times as there are trenches and sections to record. An example of filled in trench data is shown in the trench data image below.
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Each trench or section is likely to contain many different contexts. Therefore, for each trench and section page, a context may be added by clicking on Add near the base of the page after 'Add a new archeological context'. This will take you to a Context Data page where background information can be inputted. This records the size of the context and relationship to the surrounding contexts. Two examples of filled in context data are shown in the images above. It is not necessary, at any of the levels, to fill in every data box though site code, section code and context code are compulsory.
After saving the Context Data page the field tool will take you through a soil description of this context starting with Soil Colour. An example of a filled in Soil Texture sub-level is shown in the soil texture image below. It can be seen in the same image that near the bottom of each sub-level are links to the previous and next sub-level. In this case it is Soil Composition and Stoniness respectively. There are also often questions on interpretation of the context, which can be answered in the Interpretation Tool.
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Some of the sub-levels have further links to add more detail such as the icons on the Inclusions/Artefacts image above. After clicking on the empty box beside a type of inclusion or artefact that is present in the soil, the page must be saved before the icon becomes active. By clicking on this now active icon, it will take you to another set of data boxes to fill out specifically for that type of inclusion or artefact. An example of pottery is shown on the pottery image above. A link at the base of the boxes Back to Inclusions/Artefacts will take you back to the main sub-level. From here you can continue with further describing types of inclusion and artefacts or proceed to the next sub-level.
As you go through the soil description there are often blue information icons 
beside data boxes. By clicking on these a page of the Wiki will appear in a new window. This window explains the types of soils and sediments relevant for that data box. An example is shown in the soil structure image above for the sub-level on Sedimentary/Secondary Structures.
Please remember to click the Save Data button at the beginning or end of each page of data boxes as the information will not be recorded otherwise. After the soil description is complete of a context, the process can be repeated for another context by returning to the relevent Trench/Section page and clicking on Add near the bottom of the page after 'Add a new archeological context'.
