When I first visited America in the 1990's I attended the SHA conference at Cincinnati and found much to my surprise the Harris matrix referred to as a novelty in a works shop on urban archaeology. I thought it was a subtle joke, but I was wrong it was real. I remember Adrian Pretzellis introducing me to Ed Harris later that day and they both explained why it wasn't a humerous joke.  

I cannot understand why Harris's work on stratigraphy is properly taught and why it isn't seen as best archaeological practice. The concepts are not particularly difficult (except perhaps negative interfaces) and clearly stem from Wheeler's criticism of the practice of stratigraphic recording.

Surely the basic archaeological tools are plans and stratigraphic sections, as they provide the context for the things (artefacts and other evidence) we excavate. 

Harris's work is a fundamental insight into the issue of stratigraphy and the adaptation of the Harris matrix concept to building archaeology by the late Martin Davies is an important approach to integrating built structures into archaeological remains. 

I don't think what colour pencil to use in recording stratigraphy is much of an issue.
 
Iain Stuart

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