database

[tomf]

I'm making a database to track my finds.

I think it will be a good way to catalog a bunch of info and possibly allow me to see patterns in my collection.

I'm curious if others here have done the same.


Also I would love some advice on terminology and standards for things like measurements and morphology.


I'm definitely including fields for:


pictures = a & b sides (and in situs where possible)

basic description = point, scraper, debitage etc

material = obsidian, chert

length = in millimetres

width

thickness

weight = grams

stemmed = contracting, straight. expanding

notched = yes or no

base = concave, straight, convex

shape = leaf, triangle etc

location of find = approx based on map

condition = broken, poor, fair, good, fine

grade = low, medium, high?

remarks = anything about it, or it's collection, that stands out.

box number = box where I keep it

Is there other data I can track ? And is there a convention about descriptions of notch types etc?

Also any recomendations for software ? (I'm testing a demo of iDatabase but's it's functionality is pretty limited.)?


Any input welcome, thanks.

[Kentucky point]

I started using a software program called Lineup Multi Collector. You can customize it to your needs, and it is easy for me to use.

[tomf]

Is that free-ware?

I would like to include subsets of data, like more details of morphology and notes, but I don't want it to become too cumbersome to look at.

Other things to track are knapping styles, patina etc.

Curious what data you record.

[tomf]

I just downloaded a demo of Lineup Multi.

It looks cool, though quite complicated.

If I can migrate my data from iData, I'll give it a try.

[Kentucky point]

It took me a few minutes with an online tutorial to learn how to use it. The software I downloaded was free.

I use it to catalog all of my Civil War bullets. I don't own enough arrowheads to catalog a lot yet.

[tomclark]

"Gotta start young if you're gonna stick it out."
I know all my stuff is from Florida but because I never kept notes I can't tell where at least 1/2 came from exactly....

[tomf]

I think some people can keep a database in their big brains but I'm not one of them.

I want to be able to 'virtually' shuffle and study what I find and look for patterns, as I have too much stuff to do it physically.

I don't want to mark my artifacts - I hate the look of numbers on lithics - and want a way to find any particular one in it's cigar box (I've got 10 boxes full).

Also, if god forbid, I was too lose my artifacts or when I pass them on, there will be a record.

[willjo]

I have been recording my collection for years but I do it different than you an Ethan, I do mine on word and print it out and store in notebook. I put as much information on the item as I want more sometimes and less when it is not real important. A page from notebook.

[tomf]

That's a good way to go too.

Paper copies are safe from crashes and technical issues.

Still, your records are not too detailed and I'm determined to be nerdy.

[willjo]

when you record and photograph a thousand or more you will shorten the information on the least important ones.

[south fork]

I have camp site date and photos that's all I need most finds already cased up . I had all my points in coffee cans with lids marked with camp info for years .

[Lindenmeier-Man]

Not all my finds are linked to info BUT since GPS came into being, I put a shot on the artifacts. Those found before GPS , I put as close a shot on those as possible. The artifacts will speak for themselves in the future and even more as knowledge is gained...JJ

[tomf]

If I had GPS I would use it.

Artifacts do speak for themselves but can't always say exactly where they came from.

[clovisoid]

Tomf,

I always applaud collectors who try to keep info with a relic. Far too many great finds are just pretty items because no one knows where it was found. I do write on some relics, because far too often the item becomes separate from the catalog. (I have hundreds of old collection pieces with great number systems that don't match up to any paper catalog I have seen.)

I started mine years ago with a pretty complex system, and then over the years I adopted the KISS approach pioneered by Lockheed Martin in the 1960's. (Keep it simple stupid.) You will be far more likely to maintain a catalog if you can do it easily. Several years ago I moved from paper to excel, and now that excel file is cloud based and backed up in a couple of places. I can access it on any laptop, phones, etc. and I can add a new entry in less than a minute. Stuff like weight, and exact measurements from multiple angles become a bit tedious over time, or at least they were for me. If I need to measure something I do.

My word of caution for you on free apps and software is to make sure that you can export the data in a usable format. There are hundreds of examples of sites, apps or software that start as free and then over a few years either change to paid or simply crash and go away when the company stops supporting that software. I use excel, but google docs has a program called sheets that is also very good and free.

For most personal finds I record country, state, county, city or township. I also have site names for most of my common destinations, which auto populate the location details if I select the site from a drop down. I tend to physically store things by site, so I don't really track where something is in my database. I find a lot of beads and flake tools, and those are simply stored in ziplock bags by site, so occasionally I just add to the number of pieces in the bag. If I buy a group of pieces I tend to just catalog them as a single entry.

I geek out a bit with drop downs and pivot tables that I have hidden most of the time. I have column headings like Material, Material, Material, Material. Which could be Stone, Flintridge, Nethers. Heat Treated. Or Organic, Shell, Whelk. and that allows me to drill down or cluster things pretty easily. I do purchase a lot of items and have a bunch of different collector fields so I can find Meuser, Parks, Copeland relics. Not necessary, but if you asked me about Pick bannerstones made of slate from Indiana that were in X collection, I can store through 14,000+ records in a couple of clicks. And then pull back to remove Indiana to include other states, or change pick to include all types of bannerstones. With pivot tables you can sort through data in really efficient ways.

I want to figure a way to include pictures, but haven't done it. The database gets too heavy with thousands of pictures. Hyperlinks are good, but haven't figured out how to do that in a time conservative way.

Joshua

[Josie]

Joshua, I have started entering my finds in Excel also. I only hunt our land but I hunt different areas and I have named the areas. I have been a heavy Excel user since Excel was created. I go back so far that I remember using Lotus 123. The beauty of using Excel is pivot tables. You can get data summarized however you wish to view the data. But pivot tables aren't for a new user. But once someone learns to build a table, the info can be sorted and summarized so quick i do insert pictures. I use the latest version and click thru the insert button on tool bar. So I agree with you that using Excel is a great way to store the info electronically.

[tomf]

Josie is right, excel looks way too complex for me.

I found I had an old copy but got intimidated by all the bells and whistles.

I'm not an idiot and could do some tutorials and probably cobble something together, but I am lazy and inclined make mistakes which puts me off.

[Josie]

Don't feel that way Tom. It's easy to learn to use and you will love it once you get your spreadsheet created. Go take a beginners class and once you learn how to make a spreadsheet full of data, you can teach yourself how to create pivot tables. Besides, knowing how to use Excel is a great career skill.

[tomf]

Tomf,

I always applaud collectors who try to keep info with a relic. Far too many great finds are just pretty items because no one knows where it was found. I do write on some relics, because far too often the item becomes separate from the catalog. (I have hundreds of old collection pieces with great number systems that don't match up to any paper catalog I have seen.)

I started mine years ago with a pretty complex system, and then over the years I adopted the KISS approach pioneered by Lockheed Martin in the 1960's. (Keep it simple stupid.) You will be far more likely to maintain a catalog if you can do it easily. Several years ago I moved from paper to excel, and now that excel file is cloud based and backed up in a couple of places. I can access it on any laptop, phones, etc. and I can add a new entry in less than a minute. Stuff like weight, and exact measurements from multiple angles become a bit tedious over time, or at least they were for me. If I need to measure something I do.

My word of caution for you on free apps and software is to make sure that you can export the data in a usable format. There are hundreds of examples of sites, apps or software that start as free and then over a few years either change to paid or simply crash and go away when the company stops supporting that software. I use excel, but google docs has a program called sheets that is also very good and free.

For most personal finds I record country, state, county, city or township. I also have site names for most of my common destinations, which auto populate the location details if I select the site from a drop down. I tend to physically store things by site, so I don't really track where something is in my database. I find a lot of beads and flake tools, and those are simply stored in ziplock bags by site, so occasionally I just add to the number of pieces in the bag. If I buy a group of pieces I tend to just catalog them as a single entry.

I geek out a bit with drop downs and pivot tables that I have hidden most of the time. I have column headings like Material, Material, Material, Material. Which could be Stone, Flintridge, Nethers. Heat Treated. Or Organic, Shell, Whelk. and that allows me to drill down or cluster things pretty easily. I do purchase a lot of items and have a bunch of different collector fields so I can find Meuser, Parks, Copeland relics. Not necessary, but if you asked me about Pick bannerstones made of slate from Indiana that were in X collection, I can store through 14,000+ records in a couple of clicks. And then pull back to remove Indiana to include other states, or change pick to include all types of bannerstones. With pivot tables you can sort through data in really efficient ways.

I want to figure a way to include pictures, but haven't done it. The database gets too heavy with thousands of pictures. Hyperlinks are good, but haven't figured out how to do that in a time conservative way.

Joshua

Hey Joshua,

Thanks a million for the detailed and thoughtful reply and all the good advice.

I totally agree that a DB should be relatively simple. Too complex and my laziness will get the better of me.

I don't expect to have to catalog nearly as many relics as you, which may allow me to be more detailed.

If I only collect a few a week or month, I reckon I can find time for details.

The initial work of entering what I've collected so far will be a chore but after that, not so much.

Like you, I want drop downs etc and I'm going to check on the software you mentioned before I get too deep into iData (which is pleasingly simple but limited).

Though one advantage of iData is that it seems to handle pictures quite well. The cell holds a thumbnail which opens picture with Preview (Mac app) when selected. I think the pictures are not in the DB as such, just pointed to by it. It seems to work quite well.

I take your point about freeware's compatibility and risks. I would hate to make a big effort collecting data only to lose it somehow.

Still, in the world of databases, what I have in mind is relatively simple and I had thought a basic software would be ok. Maybe I'm wrong.

Here's a screen grab of my database.