A museum curator ripped my dig notes to shreds

She told me I was writing like a diary entry, not recording stratigraphy. Now I use a strict grid reference system for every single shovel test.

3 comments

3 Comments

leodavis16d ago

Dang, that's rough. At least you got a solid system out of it though.

patricialee15d ago

Wait, has anyone thought about how much of a mental toll it takes to actually maintain that kind of system long-term? I feel like people see the finished product and think it's all smooth sailing, but the daily discipline to keep it up is a whole other beast. You basically have to train yourself to think in a specific way every single time you make a choice, and that gets exhausting. It's kind of like building a muscle but for your brain, and some days you just don't want to work out (you know?). So even though the system is solid, the real win is probably learning to forgive yourself when you slip up for a day or two, because that happens to everyone.

torres.grant12d ago

Started tearing my field notebooks apart after my advisor read one page and gave me that look... you know the one. @leodavis yeah the system is solid now, but it took me a while to get there. What really helped me was switching to a simple checklist format for every unit - like a pre-printed form I just fill in the blanks for. That way I don't have to think as hard about what to write, it's already laid out for me. Slipping up still happens sometimes, but the form catches me before I go too far off track.