As promised last week, the following is the latest draft list (Version 2) of
additional 'units of information' that might be added to the MIDAS to cover
the archaeology of ships and other maritime or inland water craft. Comments
please! 

While reviewing the following document, you might want to refer to the
existing MIDAS standard. If you do not have web access (the standards is
available via http://www.rchme.gov.uk/midas/index.html )or a copy of the
publication, you can get a summary version from the list archives of FISHEN
by sending the following two line command
as the only text of a message to [log in to unmask]

get fishen midas.txt
stop

(NB this is a 46kb file)

After discussion on this list, the next step will be for the proposal (with
any modifications) to be taken forward at the FISHEN meeting in June for
ratification.


MARITIME UNITS OF INFORMATION V.2.

1. Monument Character Information Scheme

NB an issue for discussion here is the point in time at which a ship or
other maritime craft is recorded. The practice in the English National
Monuments Record (NMR) is to record 'last voyage' details, often derived
from sources such as Lloyds List. But can the same principles be applied to
extant craft (e.g. HMS Victory) or craft that are documented through other
types of sources (Port books etc) that don't relate to the loss of a ship.

New Units:

1.1 CARGO
Cargo carried by maritime craft at the time of its loss. 

Should this cover 'Commodities' more generally, and be relevant to
terrestrial sites, e.g. warehousing, manufacturing sites etc?

1.2 CONSTRUCTION METHOD
Construction method, particularly relating to the hull of a maritime craft.
(Clinker, Plate etc)

Again this could be extended to cover built heritage construction methods,
perhaps complementing Constructional Material.

1.3 MANNER OF LOSS 
How the ship first entered the archaeological record
e.g. Grounded, Burnt etc. 

This might also be appropriate to the recording of aircraft losses. Is
anyone out there involved in aircraft recording work?

1.4 NATIONALITY
Nationality of a vessel at time of its recorded loss.

1.5 MOTIVE POWER

The method of propulsion adopted by a particular craft.
- could this be used for e.g. industrial site recording as well as craft?

e.g. Steam, Electric etc

1.6 VESSEL LENGTH / VESSEL TONNAGE (?)
These could be included as additional units, with guidance notes
recommending an appropriate unit of measurement. Alternatively a more
generic approach to Monument dimensions could be adopted using separate
units of information for "Dimension Recorded" (e.g. Length, Weight, Area
etc), "Unit of Measurement" (inches, kilometres, pounds etc) and "Measured
Value". This would be more complex (and was previously rejected in formation
of the MIDAS standard), but also far more comprehensive than just listing
dimensions that are specific to a particular application.

1.7 STRUCTURAL COMPONENT TYPE
An identifiable component of the structure of a monument, generally
described by function or position within a monument.

For maritime craft this includes ships fixtures and fittings, recorded as
potential aids to identification of unidentified wrecks (e.g. armament).
More broadly this could cover a range of architectural or archaeological
features, plan components etc.

Terminology to support this unit of information is in preparation by the NMR
Data Standards Unit. 

What other inventories are recording component parts of
buildings etc?

Amended unit of information description:

1.8 MONUMENT TYPE

Guidance notes and Examples for this unit would be amended to include
references to Maritime Craft Type. A thesaurus covering recording of this
unit is available from the National Monuments Record thesaurus site at
http://www.rchme.gov.uk/thesaurus/thes_splash.htm).

2.0 Location Information scheme

New units of information

2.1 PORT OF DESTINATION
Port towards which a ship was bound at the time of its loss.

2.2 PORT OF DEPARTURE
Port from which a maritime craft had set out on it last voyage.

2.2 PORT OF REGISTRATION
Port at which a maritime craft was registered at the time of its loss.

Together these provide access to analysis of shipping patterns
etc. A thesaurus covering recording of this unit is available from the
National Monuments Record thesaurus site at
http://www.rchme.gov.uk/thesaurus/thes_splash.htm).

2.3 HEMISPHERE
New unit in Location (hemisphere is currently 
included under Latitude &Longitude)

2.4 PROJECTION
New unit in Location to allow recording of the projection in use. 

Modified units of information

2.5 HEIGHT ABOVE ORDNANCE DATUM 
Title amended to 'HEIGHT / DEPTH'
Amend guidelines to indicate use of a minus sign for below sea level.

2.6 LOCALITY
Unit definition modified to include the concept of NAMED LOCATION (e.g.
Barnstaple Bay, Off Flamborough Head etc) ie the location where a ship was
lost, used where more precise details are not available.


Edmund Lee
FISHEN Coordinator
English Heritage 





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