How We Read Evidence — Discovery Egypt

Our six-step editorial method for writing about archaeological evidence without overstating certainty.

Every field note begins with a bounded question and a trace that can be described. We then build outward, documenting each change in certainty.

01 · Observe

We separate material description from identification. Size, support, surface, damage and visible technique come before symbolism.

We ask where a trace was found, how it was recorded, who holds it and what changed between excavation and publication.

Claims are tested against more than one object, site, period or published interpretation whenever the subject permits.

We distinguish what is visible, what analysis indicates and what remains an interpretation.

Words such as “first,” “discovery,” “mystery” and “proved” are used only when the evidence and scope justify them.

Substantial corrections change the review date. Readers can report an error through the contact page.