collectionsite

Collection site is a geographic location from which materials are collected for study, inventory, or monitoring. In archaeology, it denotes the exact place where artifacts or ecofacts were recovered. In the sciences, it refers to the site where samples such as soil, water, biological tissue, or environmental data are gathered. The concept emphasizes provenance, context, and the conditions under which samples were obtained, all of which influence interpretation and comparability.

Applications include archaeological surveys, ecological monitoring, public health sampling, and museum or herbarium acquisitions. The term is used to indicate origin and context, which are essential for subsequent analysis, replication, and data integration across projects and disciplines.

Standard records for a collection site typically include coordinates (latitude and longitude), elevation, date and time of collection, the collector or responsible organization, methods used, material type, and environmental conditions. In archaeology, stratigraphic context and horizon depth are also recorded. Metadata may be stored in field notebooks, digital databases, or specimen labels, often employing controlled vocabularies and georeferencing.

Record accuracy and uniform terminology support data sharing, reproducibility, and integration with geographic information systems. Challenges include access rights, site disturbance, safety concerns, and privacy or cultural sensitivities in sensitive locations. Proper documentation and ethical considerations help ensure that collection-site data remain reliable for current and future research.

Because the term spans disciplines, the precise meaning of collection site is contextual, but it generally denotes the place of origin essential for interpretation, provenance, and future study.