The Excavation Protocol Infographic

This protocol is the first step of "Archaeobytology." It answers the practitioner's starting question:

"I see 'digital dust.' Where do I even begin?"

START: The "Digital Dust" (Crisis of Noise)

Phase 1: Define Dig Site (The "Where")

Scope the "field" to turn a "junkyard" into a "dig site." Where are you looking?

Curated Archive A known, structured collection. e.g., Internet Archive, GeoCities Mirror, Museum Collections

"Wild" Archive An unstructured, abandoned, or "living" site. e.g., Old FTP servers, dead sites, "404-hunting"

Conceptual Site A "living" platform, excavated for its "ghosts." e.g., Twitter, Reddit, GitHub (for `README.md` rituals)

Phase 2: Define Target (The "What")

What *kind* of artifact are you hunting for?

Tangible (The File) Hunting for specific files, formats, or code. e.g., "Find all `.swf` files," "Look for `guestbook.cgi`"

Conceptual (The Ghost) Hunting for lost behaviors, rituals, or concepts. e.g., "Find examples of 'Away Messages'," "Trace 'Webrings'"

Phase 3: Sifting Methodology (The "How")

Apply a formal method to find the "find."

Keyword Sifting Searching for specific terms within the dig site. e.g., "guestbook," "home page," "about me"

Relational Mapping Following connections between artifacts. e.g., Following "blogrolls," `rel="friend"` links, Webring links

Stratigraphic Sampling Isolating a specific "slice" of time or tech. e.g., "Only GeoCities 1999," "Only Flash 5 games"

OUTPUT: The "First Find" (An `Archaeobyte`)

An artifact has been successfully excavated from the "digital dust." It is now ready for formal classification.

HANDOFF: Proceed to The Anvil Triage Protocol