The Anvil Triage Protocol
A Practitioner's Decision Tree for Applied Archaeobytology
This protocol is a formal, three-phase decision engine designed to answer the practitioner's core question:
"I have found an artifact. What do I do now?"
START: The "Find" (An Archaeobyte)
Phase 1: Classification (The "What")
Classify the artifact's "state of being" to determine the preservation strategy.
`Vivibyte` (Living)
An active, changing artifact.
Strategy: Episodic Capture
`Umbrabyte` (Liminal)
A static but "lost" artifact.
Strategy: Discrete Capture & Context
`Petribyte` (Fossilized)
An artifact whose context is dead.
Strategy: Object Migration & Reconstruction
Phase 2: Preservation Triage (The "How & Can I")
Determine the technical and ethical path to preservation.
Filter A: Contextual
↓
Path 1: Object-based
Action: Migration
Path 2: Experience-based
Action: Emulation
Filter B: Custodial
↓
Question: Privacy (PII)?
Action: Redact or Embargo
Question: Copyright?
Action: Cite & "Fair Use"
Phase 3: Academic Synthesis (The "So What")
Determine the artifact's final scholarly output and value.
Path 1: Digital Dust
(No Resonance)
Artifact has no discernible human story or cultural value. Action: Archive (Log with minimal metadata)
Artifact has no discernible human story or cultural value. Action: Archive (Log with minimal metadata)
Path 2: Curio
(Resonance, No Rigor)
Artifact has a human story but no modern relevance. Action: Preserve & Document (Create "Digital Monument")
Artifact has a human story but no modern relevance. Action: Preserve & Document (Create "Digital Monument")
Path 3: Landmark
(Resonance & Rigor)
Artifact's story is highly relevant today. Action: Amplify & Synthesize (New Thesis)
Artifact's story is highly relevant today. Action: Amplify & Synthesize (New Thesis)