Preservation is one. Perhaps more problematic, however, is that the majority of what archaeologists study are things that have been discarded, whether it is an abandoned house or a trash pile. Pompeii is a rare example where a natural disaster captured a moment in time. From the bits left behind, archaeologists set out to reconstruct a culture. Documents of all sorts, written and pictorial, are integral components of archaeological research at every step of any project.
Some uses are practical and straightforward and form the basis of any good research design.
A document can confirm a fact, identify a site or artifact, or highlight conflicting data. Many archaeologists, however, expand the use of documents to add texture to a complex material past. By digitizing the maps and adjusting the scales, archaeologists created a map chronology that traced Boston' physical growth as well as the development of streets and lots. The landfill history was particularly important since native American and early colonial period sites would only be found in areas that fell on the original land mass of the Shawmut Peninsula. In the meantime archaeologists search deeds and maps to trace the ownership history of the piece of land under study.