Comparative Archaeology Database, University of Pittsburgh
URL: http://www.cadb.pitt.edu
Email: cadb@pitt.edu

San Ramón de Alajuela Settlement Dataset
Mauricio Murillo Herrera

Lot Information

The data files LOTINFORMATION.TXT and LOTINFORMATION.XLS contain information on the location and area of collection lots, as well as on the types of collections carried out in each of them. LOTINFORMATION.TXT is an ASCII text file; LOTINFORMATION.XLS contains the same data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Each line represents one collection lot. There are 816 lines in the text file, each with 9 variables separated by commas. The variables are, in the following order:

1

 Lot Number

2

 Number of Artifacts

3

 Collection Method:
  • General: a grab sample from a collection lot.
  • Sytematic circle: a careful collection of all visible artifacts within a small circle.
  • Systematic rectangle: a collection of all artifacts seen in a large rectanglular area. Carried out only in places with very low artifact densities, but with high surface visibility.
  • Shovel test.

4

 Systematic Collection Area (m²)

5

 Shovel Test Volume (m³)

6

 Total Lot Area (m²): The lot area represented by the systematic collection

7

 Easting for the center of the collection lot (in meters, in the same coordinate system as the maps provided above)

8

 Northing for the center of the collection lot (in meters, in the same coordinate system as the maps provided above)

9

 Date the collection was carried out

The first line of the ASCII text file, for example, looks like this:

1,17,Systematic circle,12.56,,4564,478350,234750,5/22/2007

This indicates that the collection unit is number 1, where 17 artifacts were recovered. A systematic collection was made within a circle of 12.56 square meters. No shovel test volume is given because this was a surface collection, not a shovel test. The total area of the collection lot represented was 4564 square meters. The coordinates of the collection lot were 478350 east and 234750 north. The collection was made on May 22, 2007.

The last, or 816th, line of the ASCII text file is:

816,4,Systematic rectangle,400.00,,6679,485546,230862,10/31/2007

This indicates that the collection unit is number 816, where 4 artifacts were recovered. A systematic collection was made within a rectangle of 400 square meters. No shovel test volume is given because this was a surface collection, not a shovel test. The total area of the collection lot represented was 6679 square meters. The coordinates of the collection lot were 485546 east and 230862 north. The collection was made on October 10, 2007.

Click here to download the file LOTINFORMATION.TXT (47 KB) or the file LOTINFORMATION.XLS (127 KB).

Return to the Table of Contents