Production of a stratigraphic narrative is a key output of any sequence of stratigraphic post excavation analysis. Typically, the stratigraphic narrative is included as a component of a more extensive reporting process, usually connected to the creation of unpublished reports, contributing to the overall project deliverables. Within the commercial sector these reports might be known by a variety of names across different organisations (eg. Analysis Reports, Assessment Reports and Data Structure Report being some of the most common). That being said, it should be emphasised that the stratigraphic narrative is equally associated with preliminary reporting in research context as well. The purpose of this section is not to offer guidance on how to construct an ‘assessment report’, since most projects and organisations will have their own templates and protocols for doing this, but rather to offer some best practice guidance on how to specifically write up the stratigraphic narrative component of these reports.
The Stratigraphic Report
Construction of an archaeological stratigraphic narrative explicitly derives from the previous analytical work. Contexts, which by this point may be grouped and phased stratigraphically in terms of deposition and perhaps analysed in terms of land-use, are organised into a narrative. The aim of the narrative is to chronologically explain their role in site formation from the earliest layers upwards. As such, the report could either be for the archive or part of a publication. The stratigraphic report has then evolved over the years and now it’s an integral part of the grey-literature reporting process both within the UK planning system and as a requirement for research funding applications.
Commonly stratigraphic narratives (as part of a larger report) consist of two key components:
- A detailed and highly descriptive technical summary of the depositional sequence.
- A more synthetic and interpretative phased discussion of the sequence.
Before initiating any form of publication, it’s crucial to ensure all necessary parts are complete and available. These include the allocation of time for the author to write, printed database entries, complete specialist reports, and digitised or drawn illustrations. Ideally the final writing will be coordinated with the return of all completed specialist reports and dating information to avoid unexpected changes which could cause time losses.