ABSTRACT
This chapter covers basic identification and standard terminology for several common categories of artefacts found on Australian sites. It defines a minimum set of core attributes that are most useful for broad analytical purposes, while also recognising that people will need to match our research questions to the most relevant measurements. The most important characteristic of any recording system is to ensure that it is consistent and tied to standard terminology and practice. This is as true for artefacts as it is for sites, deposits or landscapes. In recording such a group of stone artefacts, archaeologists try to distinguish between those flakes that were removed at the beginning of the process and those that were removed from the core towards the end of the process. Quantifying mollusc shells is a useful undertaking, even during initial archaeological survey and site recording work, since it provides direct information about dietary focus, foraging practices and, potentially, changes in local ecosystems through time.
