• interests and questions, the 'agenda' of the excavator
• knowledge - the techniques available

- funding for materials, equipment, time

- funding for publication

- time available to excavators and others for preparing publication

- site survey: dependant on history of development of surveying equipment and cartography

- exact location of tomb in site

- exact measurement of tomb architecture

• superstructure
• substructure

- exact measurements of position of tomb context

- types of records

• text notes
• sketch

- medium

• graphic record with exact measurements
• notebook/manuscript
• file card ('tomb card')
• printed version
• electronic version

- finds

• in museum
• display
• storage
• in site store-rooms\left on ground

- the site itself after excavation