Dan STEFAN / Magdalena DUTESCU
(Romania)
The formal system of analytical representation of stratigraphic relations established between the smallest unities of sediment proposed by Eduard Harris in 1975 ensures the objectifying of an important stage during the registration and management process of stratigraphic information. The strength of the registration system based on stratigraphic diagrams is given by the possibility of representing in two dimensions, complex processes that had taken place in four dimensions (space and time).
With all these advantages however, the system proves, in fact, quite intricate to use and more over, quite difficult to comprehend in case of publications, considering that for a medium sized excavation the total number of stratigraphic contexts may exceed several thousands. In this case, the exercise of navigating through an endless sequence of uniform stratigraphic diagrams can be difficult even for their authors and almost impossible to realize for a new comer. In the best case, these efforts of documentation will remain locked-up in their drawers, with a reduced impact during the interpretation process and without a direct input in the publication stage.
In the last years, there have been several attempts to improve this system in terms of value and user-friendliness. The present paper will put forward the results of such an attempt focused on the publishing of stratigraphic information and its exploit in the interpreting process.