Documenting Your Collections
Info-Muse Network Documentation Guide

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Period (Identification)

Definition:

Observations:

1. Enter chronological data that cannot be entered in the dating fields.
2. This field is used in conjunction with the Culture field, if you use it to enter non-numeric chronological data.
   Example

   An Egyptian vessel produced during the 18th Dynasty

   	Object Name	vessel
   	Period	18th Dynasty
   	Culture	Egyptian

3. This field may also contain data identifying a century or part of a century.
   Example

   A Canadian armoire dating from 1880

   	Object Name	armoire
   	Period	4th quarter of the 19th century
   	Culture	Canadian

4. For better search results in your database, avoid using a large variety of terms; draw up an authority list and add keywords as necessary.

Entry rules:

1. If you use this field to enter non-numeric chronological data, enter the keyword describing the period in which it was produced.
   Example

   A Chinese vase produced in the Neolithic period

   	Object Name	vase
   	Period	Neolithic
   	Culture	Chinese

2. You may wish to enter the name of a period within a broader period. Enter the generic name followed by a comma, space and the specific name.
   Example

   	Object Name	cup
   	Period	Bronze Age, Mycenian
   	Culture	Greek

3. For more precision concerning data identifying a century or part of a century, you may enter the information as follows:
   Examples

   	Period	1st quarter of the 19th century
   	Period	2nd quarter of the 19th century
   	Period	3rd quarter of the 19th century
   	Period	4th quarter of the 19th century
   	Period	1st half of the 19th century
   	Period	2nd half of the 19th century

4. If you are unsure whether your information is correct, include a space and a question mark after the period name.
   Example

   	Object Name	sculpture
   	Period	Renaissance ?
   	Culture	Italian

5. This field may contain multiple entries separated by a semicolon followed by a space.
   Example

   	Object Name	piece of cloth
   	Period	Edo; 17th century
   	Culture	Japanese