This is the Object Schema for the MIDAS standard, part of the FISH suite of XML schemas for the historic environment. It is designed to hold information relating to archaeologically significant cultural or biologically derived items, including artefacts found either by chance or in the course of formal archaeological investigations. Type of object, usually drawn from the MDA Object Type Thesaurus How certain is this object type identification? From what resource (thesaurus) is this object type derived? Use the identifier 'cla_' Collective root element containing one or more objects Root element for recording small finds and artefacts. Holding element for other elements that describe the artefact's character. Note that this is one of the few instances in MIDAS where an element can be repeated without a contain element. Repeat CHARACTER in the rare instance where you wish also to describe a separate part of the object independently, such as a Roman coin that forms the pendant of an Anglo-Saxon necklace. Holding element for one or more descriptions of this object Holding element containing one or more classification and typology/ information elements Identifier for domain-specific classifications From what resource (thesaurus) is this classification derived? Holding element containing information relating to the manufacture of the object Holding element containing one or more material elements The material that this object consist of From what resource (thesaurus) is this material type derived? The technique(s) used to manufacture the object. Can be repeated. From what resource (thesaurus) is this technique derived? Holding element for all quantitative measurements Measurement value. Repeat for different measurements. Type of measurement: (height, weight, width, depth, diameter, etc.) The units of this measurement. Use metric abbreviations: mm, cm, g, m, etc. from ISO 1000 Holding element for holding decoration information Description of decoration. Use one decoration element for each type of decoration Type of decoration, including' inscription' Holding element for elements that contain info on condition Records the state of wear of the object. Users may wish to use standard numismatic terminology (Seaby's Standard Catalogue explains these terms with illustrations of coins in different conditions - see pp. 1, 61 and 258-9 of the 1998 edition). The namespace from which the value is derived Records the state of the object at the time when it was recorded (as opposed to its state of WEAR at the time when it was deposited in the ground). The namespace from which the value is derived Status of the object relating to its state of preservation ('waterlogged', 'mineralised', 'desiccated', etc.) This is not STATE, a qualitative statement of condition. An object could be in bad condition, but waterlogged therefore retaining value for some types of investigation. The namespace from which the value is derived Use to note whether the object is incomplete. Objects may be assumed to be complete unless otherwise noted (default NULL = 'complete'). Usage note: although these are not intended to be precise terms, as a rule of thumb use ‘incomplete’ if at least half of the object survives and ‘fragment’ if less than half of it survives. The namespace from which the value is derived Holding element for multiple reuse elements. Reuse elements are employed when the object has undergone a material change to accommodate a new funciton (holes drilled in a 'po't makes it a 'strainer'). Reuse should not be employed for puterly funcitonal change (a 'pot' does not become a 'planter' simply because it contains flowers). Holding element for reuse object type and temporal elements Holding element for all activities (identification, recording, transfers, loss, production, etc.) and their associated time and place. NOTE: the discovery and manufacture activities have their own elements, and should NOT be included here. A MIDAS artefact 'activity' is any event that is associated with the object/artefact, and the people and place it happened. The 'type' attribute is required. Records the type of activity (event). This is required. Holding element for all information relating to the discovery of the artefact/object. Method of Discovery. Agricultural or drainage work’, ‘Building work’, ‘Gardening’, ‘Metal detector’ and ‘Other chance find’ etc. Additional information, largely unformatted, that is considered important in relation to the circumstances of the discovery. All objects should be recorded as single entities. If this element is omitted, the default value is assumed to be '1'. However, in instances where collective recording is expedient or sensible, this element can be used to record the number (integer) of objects. MIDAS ObjectAnnexes