ABSTRACT
The first essential in any site recording, whether in notebook form or as a publication, is the accurate geographical positioning of the site upon suitable maps. Most published reports of archaeological excavations or fieldwork begin with a verbal description of the site in terms of its proximity to better-known landmarks, such as towns. Sites published in national journals also often have a small-scale map included, so that the reader who may be entirely unfamiliar with the region can identify the general area in which the site appears. In British archaeology a standard practice has developed for putting this introductory data into a convenient and economical form for publication, and an example appears in fig. 13. This consists of three maps, the first consisting of a small-scale map of a very large area, large enough for its outline to be instantly recognizable by almost anyone who has heard of the country. Within this map appears a block marking the position of the second map on the page, which is generally at county or area level of scale, and often with some geological information shown; other sites of interest and towns can also be indicated. Again, a small block marks the position of the third map, which places the actual site under report in its immediate setting in relation to fields, roads and houses. Scales of the last pair of maps should be shown, and the three maps are orientated in the same plane.
