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WEATHER:

ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND RECORDING FORM

LIGHT
CONDITIONS:

Clear

SITE/LOCATION:

RECORDER/S:

RECORDING FOR:

General survey information only

(multiple exposures)

PERCENTAGE OF GROUND SURFACE VISIBLE:

SEDIMENT/SOIL:

Clay

Silt

Average across
survey area
Average within
exposure

Sand

Good

Raining

Poor

ATTACHMENTS/OTHER FORMS:

DATE:
Site location
(single exposure)

Cloudy

Open site

Historic

Scarred tree

Sketch map

Rock art

Other

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL
REGIME:

Other:

Aggrading
Stock

DISTURBANCE:

Insects

Vegetation

Eroding

Erosion

Other animals

Development

Stable

Other:

Unknown

EXPOSURE(S):
None

Erosion patch

Dam bank

Patchy ground cover

Unformed track

Fence line

Backhoe/grader scrape

Other:

Formed track

Cow pad

Water course/
drainage line

GROUND COVER:
PERCENTAGE
GROUND COVER
ON EXPOSURE:

ROCK OUTCROP:

Within exposure(s)

Off exposure(s)

Leaf litter/bark/twigs/wood

Leaf litter/bark/twigs/wood

Grass/vegetation
Moss/lichen
Rubble/gravel
Water
Redeposited sediments (eg. slumping)

Grass/vegetation

Other:

Other:

COARSE
FRAGMENTS
(in situ
aggregates):

Moss/lichen
Rubble/gravel
Water
Redeposited sediments (eg. slumping)

No rock outcrop

(No bedrock exposed)

Rocky

Very slightly rocky

(<2% bedrock exposed)

Very rocky

Slightly rocky
2-6mm

PERCENTAGE
GROUND COVER
OFF EXPOSURE:

(10-20% bedrock exposed)

(>20% bedrock exposed)

(2-10% bedrock exposed)

200-600mm (Stones)

(Small pebbles or fine gravel)

6-20mm (Medium pebbles or gravel)

600mm-2m (Boulders)

20-60mm (Large pebbles or coarse gravel)

>2m

(Large boulders)

60-200mm (Cobbles)

BACKGROUND NOISE:
PERCENTAGE
BACKGROUND
NOISE:

Leaf litter/bark having same colour/sheen/shape of artefacts

In situ aggregates (coarse fragments from parent outcrops - see above)
Imported aggregates (eg. road gravel/sand/shell etc)

Other:

OTHER DETECTION LIMITING FACTORS:

Deep excavation/erosion (ie. below archaeological horizon)
Burning effects mimicking artefacts
Other:

LANDFORM:

Pattern:

Slope:

Relief:
>30

(>56%)

>300m
90-300m

Very Steep

Very high

18-30 (33-56%)

Steep

High

9-30m

6-17

(11-32%)

Moderately Inclined

Low

<9m

2-5

(2-10%)

Gently Inclined

Very low

(1%) Level

30-90m

Upper slope

Creekline/bank
River terrace

Mid slope

Swamp

Lower slope

Lake edge

Flat/plain

Dune

Hillcrest/ridge

Other:

EXISTING VEGETATION:

Tallest stratum:

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Grassland

Rainforest

Mangroves

Heathland

Open woodland

Forest

Shrubland

Other:

Species noted:

Height:

Crown separation:

Trees

>20m

Touching to overlapping

Trees/Mallee

13-20m

Touching or slightly separated

Shrubs

7-12m

Clearly separated

Palms

4-6m

Well separated

1-3m

Trees ~100+m apart/shrubs ~25+m apart

<1m

Clumps of 2-5 trees/shrubs 200+m apart

Understorey:

Height:

Crown separation:

None

>12m

Touching to overlapping

Trees

7-12m

Touching or slightly separated

Trees/Mallee

4-6m

Clearly separated

Shrubs

1-3m

Well separated

Palms

0.5-1m

Trees ~100+m apart/shrubs ~25+m apart

0.25-0.5m

Clumps of 2-5 trees/shrubs 200+m apart

<0.25m
Ground Layer:

Height:

Tussock grass

1-3m

Sod grass

0.5-1m

Ferns

0.25-0.5m

Moss

<0.25m

Vines

LAND USE:

Undeveloped

Grazed

Built-up area

Quarry/extraction

Forested

Ploughed

Road verge

Mining

Cleared

Cultivated

Other:

SITES/ISOLATED ARTEFACTS
LOCATED (see separate forms):
NOTES:

PHOTOGRAPHS: