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Proposal Checklists

Archaeological Sites Proposal Checklist

Created: 8 March 2024
Latest update: 31 October 2024

This checklist was created to account for the common issues in establishing archaeological sites in the subject authority file using the MARC field 151. It does not account for all considerations but focuses on the main attributes of archaeological sites. Proposals should be made using the Geographic Heading form in ClassWeb Plus.

If the site constitutes the remains of an extinct city, establish it as an extinct city rather than an archaeological site, following the provisions of H715. If a cemetery is not an archaeological site, establish it as a 110 in the name authority file, following the provisions of H405 and H1365.

If you are proposing at least 20 headings on a similar theme, or if your proposal changes a base heading that will result in changes to more than 10 headings, you have a project. Contact PTCP for assistance by emailing [email protected].

Please examine your proposal against this checklist before submitting your proposal for review. If you have questions, please consult the SHM first; if you still have questions, please send them to [email protected].

Note: Be careful when copying and pasting into ClassWeb Plus. Always change curly quotation marks (or smart quotes) to straight quotes. Use the dollar sign ($) as a subfield delimiter instead of the double dagger (‡).

 

MARC field  Include/Check for  SHM sheet 
 008/06  Select the radial button "No attempt to code."  H364
 151  Choose the best name for the site:
  • If the site is obscure and not found in any standard reference sources, select the site name based on the work being cataloged.
  • Does the name include a term that implies an archaeological site (e.g., Canyon Creek Ruin (Ariz.))? If not, add the work Site to the name. Example: Alberite Site (Spain)
  • Is the heading justified in the 670s?
  • Is this a cave or mound site? If so, establish the name and omit the word Site. Examples: Texcal Cave (Mexico); Kunnemann Mounds (East Saint Louis, Ill.)
  • If the archaeological site is a cemetery, add the word Site to the name of the cemetery. Examples: San Germano Site (Italy); Snake Hill Cemetery Site (Fort Erie, Ont.)
Include the appropriate geographic qualifier:
  • Does the qualifier need to be established?
  • If the site is in a city, it is qualified by the city. Example: Shattuck Street Dump Site (Lawrence, Mass.)
If the site constitutes an extinct city, do not establish it as a site. Instead use H715 to establish it as an extinct city. 		 H405
 H690
 H715
 H810
 H1225
 451 (UF)  
  • Did you add a 451 for any variant names for the site?
  • Are all UFs justified in the 670s?
  • Are UFs alphabetized?
  H373
 H690
 H1225
 550/551 (BT)  
  • Did you add a 551 $a [modern country]* $x Antiquities?
  • If the site is a cave or mound, did you add a 550 $a Caves $z [modern country]* or 550 $a Mounds $z [modern country]*?
    • Please note: A 550 $a Mounds $z [modern country]* should also be added to sites that include the words "Hill," "Tall," "Tel," and "Tell" in their names.
  • If the site currently functions as a farm or plantation, did you add a 550 $a Farms $z [modern country]* or 550 $a Plantations $z [modern country]*?
  • If the site is a cemetery, did you add a 550 $a Cemeteries $z [modern country]*?
  • Are all BTs justified in the 670s?
  • Are BTs alphabetized?
  H1225
 667   If the site is within a city, add 667 This headings is not valid for use as a geographic subdivision.  H370
 First 670  It is important to cite sources relevant to your proposal as specified in instruction sheets. The first source cited should always be the work being cataloged:
  • Start with $a Work cat.:
  • $b has information in English that justifies the proposed heading
  • Optionally, include $w with the OCLC record number of the resource cited. Do not include any space between the closing parenthesis and the number, e.g., $w (OCoLC)xxx...
  H200
 H202
 H203
 H690
 Other 670s    H200
 H202
 H203
 675  If information to support the heading is not found in sources required by instruction sheets, record that fact here. The $a may be repeated and should be separated by a semicolon, e.g., $a Lippincott; $a Columbia Gaz.  H203
 781  Add a 781 for headings that may be used as a geographic subdivision.   H836
 952 (Cataloger's comments)  Use this space to alert PTCP to any comments or complexities you would like to share about the proposal. This is not required.  H200
 Email  Include your email address to receive notifications when the proposal has been scheduled and reviewed. This is not required, but it is the only way to receive notifications.  

*Note: In the checklist, the term [modern country] refers, in the case of Canada, Great Britain, and the United States, to the first order political division.