Sources and methods

Thepotsherd gathers its news from a curated selection of published feeds and indexes of news publications. These sources are selected for their coverage of archaeology, specifically focusing on the site, the dig season, and the interpretation of material culture. Each story is processed with automated assistance to extract the core facts and produce a concise summary. The original publication is always credited as the source, and a link to the full article is provided. This ensures readers can trace the information back to its origin.

When a fact or claim appears in only one publication, it is treated with particular caution. Such information is noted within the summary but is not presented as established fact. The aim is to distinguish between widely reported developments and singular claims, allowing readers to assess the information accordingly. The summary will always attribute the statement to the specific publication that reported it.

The reference pages for sites, methods, periods, laws, artefact-types, museums, and agencies are built differently. They are constructed from stable, well-attested facts gathered from authoritative publications and institutional sources. Each reference page features a facts table that presents key data in a structured format. A credited photograph, sourced from a repository with appropriate licences, accompanies the entry. These pages are intended as neutral starting points for further research.

All news coverage and reference pages are subject to regular review and refresh. News summaries are updated as a story develops and new information becomes widely reported across multiple sources. Reference pages are revised on a less frequent schedule to incorporate new academic consensus or significant changes in the administrative or legal landscape. This process ensures the content across thepotsherd remains current and reliable.