Artifact Classification Score Calculator

This calculator weights morphology at 35% of the total score, the highest of the five categories, because form and structural attributes are typically the most diagnostic feature archaeologists use to assign an artifact to a known type -- two vessels can have very different surface finishes yet still belong to the same morphological type, while two vessels with the same shape but different decoration are usually classified as different types or varieties. Surface treatment (slip, polish, or finish quality) gets 15% because it is often affected by weathering, soil chemistry, or handling, making it a less reliable long-term indicator than the object's underlying form.

Classification confidence reflects the overall weighted score across all five attribute categories, so it can be pulled down by a single weak input like poor context integrity even when the object itself is easy to identify. Diagnostic status looks only at the average of morphology and decoration scores -- the two attributes most directly tied to whether the piece is recognizable as a specific type at all -- so an artifact can register as strongly "Diagnostic" while still carrying a lower overall classification confidence if its context or size scores are weak.

Context integrity records how reliable the artifact's find-spot information is -- whether it came from a sealed, primary deposit or a disturbed surface scatter -- which is a separate question from how classifiable the object itself is based on its physical attributes. A well-preserved, highly diagnostic vessel recovered from a disturbed context still carries real uncertainty about its date and cultural association, which is why this calculator scores context integrity independently rather than folding it into the morphology or decoration scores.

Yes -- size/completeness is only 10% of the total weighted score, so a small or fragmentary piece can still score well overall if its morphology and decoration are clear and well-preserved. A distinctive rim sherd or a diagnostic decorated fragment often carries enough type information to classify confidently even though it represents only a small piece of the original object, which is why this calculator does not let size alone override strong morphological and decorative evidence.