When brought from the field, artifacts are processed in the laboratory. To facilitate interpretation of the site and for long-term preservation, the artifacts are washed (left), labeled, and bagged according to where and at what level they were found on the site. The lab manager then prepares an inventory of all the artifacts recovered—for this project there were more than six thousand! The inventory database is a crucial tool that allows the archaeologist to discern general patterns and make interpretations about the site.