Enkeltfragmenteret

Enkeltfragmenteret is a Danish term meaning "single-fragmented." It is used in scientific and museum contexts to describe a specimen, artifact, or remains that exist as a single piece rather than a collection of fragments. The designation communicates the fragmentation state of the object rather than its age, origin, or overall condition.

The term appears in disciplines such as archaeology, paleontology, and geology, where cataloging and reporting practices require concise descriptors of finds. An item described as enkeltfragmenteret may be a lone lithic flake, a solitary bone fragment, or a single ceramic shard. It is typically contrasted with terms indicating multiple fragments or a more complete specimen, such as fragmenteret (fragmented) or multifragmenteret (multifragmented). Using enkeltfragmenteret helps researchers assess the amount of information available for analysis and the potential limitations on interpretation.

Limitations of the designation should be noted: it specifies how many pieces are present, not the object's age, provenance, cultural attribution, or analytical potential. A single fragment can still be archaeologically meaningful, but the type of information that can be drawn from it is often more restricted than from a more complete specimen.

Etymology: the word combines en- meaning "one" with fragmenteret, derived from fragmentere, meaning to fragment. In English-language literature, the closest equivalents are phrases like "single-fragmented" or "single-piece," depending on the context. See also fragmentary, intact, and miscellaneous fragment descriptors.