Small Finds Analysis: Typology and Function. A Case Study from Phaistos

Small finds have been often underestimated in past archaeological studies, because of the perception that they are objects of less relevance in comparison to other categories such as pottery. To improve conditions for the recognition of their potential, a specific relational database has been created for the management of this kind of artefact found on the Cretan sites of Phaistos and Ayia Triada. One of the methodological aspects that has been dealt with is the management of the reference sources and the typological attributions. This article presents some possible solutions used in the database to overcome these problems: (1) every small find is connected to all its published information and to its multiple attributions, made by different researchers or by the same researcher at different times; (2) a standard typological terminology is used to assure data normalization; (3) the preservation of the subjectivity and uncertainty of archaeological attributions is obtained with the application of Fuzzy Logic and its concept of ‘probability of belonging’.