The Matrix Manager is a software component designed to provide a flexible environment for the management and display of stratigraphic information. It is not a Matrix Generator and does not perform automated stratigraphic sequencing; the matrix is entered into the system by hand, much as it would be in a paper diagram. The matrix data are stored in a spreadsheet format, using shaded cells to reflect the stratigraphic links rather than lines (Fig. 37). The Context KEY_ID is entered in full, and this is linked to the Context table in the Access database so that when a cell is selected the Context Type, Shape, Period and Notes fields are displayed above the Matrix. The KEY_ID also provides a link to the digitised drawings, while a URL can also be linked to each entry, which provides a dynamic link to archived data maintained in WEB-CD or PDF format.
The links established between the database, stratigraphic matrix, digitised drawings and WEB-CD provide a flexible environment in which the digitised drawings can be displayed in stratigraphic sequence using user-defined colours and an automatically generated key. The Matrix Manager provides an interactive environment in which the stratigraphic sequence data can be combined with phasing information to produce or animate phase plans. Matrix Manager files can be exported to Microsoft Excel or to HTML, including the embedded URLs, allowing navigation of the Matrix and supporting data within linked WEB pages. Other functions allow the user to select a drawn component and search the matrix to find the context, or alternatively select a matrix cell and zoom to display the plan.
© Internet Archaeology/Author(s)
URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue27/2/5.4.html
Last updated: Wed Nov 11 2009