About the Research Database

Introduction
The research database is designed primarily for users who are familiar with archaeological concepts and terms and who have a working knowledge of computers and Internet browsers. Professional archaeologists, students, educators, and others interested in the archaeology of the American Southwest are encouraged to use the database to conduct their own research, develop lesson plans and curricula, and learn more about the prehistoric Pueblo Indian culture.

Related Publications
Crow Canyon shares the results of its research in a variety of printed and electronic publications. These resources contain descriptive and interpretive information that may help you refine your research questions and narrow the parameters of your database searches. The List of Sites and Associated Publications provides links to on-line publications available on Crow Canyon's Web site; other publications relating to sites documented in the database are listed in the research Bibliography.

About the Data
The information in the research database is categorized by type: field data, analysis data, maps, and photographs. A variety of search options are available within each category. We suggest that you print the instructions for searching the database and downloading tabular data for easy reference. Hints on how to use the database are provided in Database Tips.

The database contains a wide variety of information collected over many years, beginning in 1983 and continuing through the present. During this time, the field and laboratory procedures employed by Crow Canyon have been continually modified and refined, with the result that not all types of information have been recorded for all sites. Thus, users of the database undoubtedly will notice some "gaps" in the records for some sites. Furthermore, in the interests of publishing data in as timely a fashion as possible, we have chosen to place data sets on-line as they become available, rather than to wait until all the data for a given site are ready. For example, publication of photographs may precede publication of the results of laboratory analysis by many months, because it generally takes much longer to process artifacts than to digitize photographic images. For an up-to-date listing of the contents of the database, by site, see Current Contents of the Research Database: Sites and Search Types.

When you conduct a search in the research database, data current as of that date are retrieved directly from the data files. Although data are added to the database only after a series of quality-control checks have been completed, minor errors or omissions may be discovered after the data are made available on-line. These problems are corrected as they are identified, and because the files are continually updated, it is important for the user to include the date of use in all reference citations to the database (see How to Cite the Database).

Human Remains Data
In accordance with Crow Canyon's policy with regard to the treatment of human remains, funerary objects, and related data, the Center restricts access to information about human remains found during excavation. Although drawings of human skeletal remains are included on maps, the results of human remains analysis and photographs showing human remains are not available on-line. Professional researchers should contact Crow Canyon's research director, in writing, to request access to human remains data. A copy of Crow Canyon's human remains policy is available in The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Field Manual.

References
Occasionally you will find a code for a reference included in a data field (for example, "see Kuckelman et al. 2002*2"). The actual reference itself can be found in the reference list in the database for the site.

Credit
Users are required to credit the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center as the source of material borrowed from the database (see How to Cite the Database).

Feedback
 Do you have comments, suggestions, or questions? Please direct your E-mail to the research database manager.