OEH AHIMS Site Recording Form
The site recording form has been designed to complement the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) data structure as well as to meet the professional standards for archaeological recording of sites. It also conforms to legal standards necessary for recording potentially sensitive information and maintains OEH copyright provisions over information recorded while respecting the rights of Aboriginal people to control their information within AHIMS.
Heritage professionals will be required to complete an AHIMS site recording form when recording a site in conjunction with the local Aboriginal community and relevant OEH officer. Please contact the Aboriginal Heritage Information Unit for further information relating to who can record sites, and how to record sites.
The site recording form consists of a main outer card that functions as the primary site record card and 20 additional feature cards used for recording more detail. It therefore aims to promote flexibility when recording different components of a site complex while in the field.
For simplicity reasons the interactive electronic site recording form comes in two different versions. The outer card only version and the main card version that contains the five most common site features in NSW. If you require additional site feature cards please contact the Aboriginal Heritage Information Unit.
The use of the site recording form is mostly self-explanatory. However particular attention should be given to recording the correct datum, zone, date recorded and site context.
The Excel version of the site recording form can also be downloaded but this is only recommended when a large number of sites need to be recorded. Do not use this card without first contacting the Aboriginal Heritage Information Unit.
Aboriginal Site Impact Recording Form
The Aboriginal site impact recording (ASIR) form has been developed to ensure that information about the status of AHIMS sites is maintained so that we have a current and accurate picture of the condition of registered Aboriginal sites across NSW.
You must complete the ASIR form and submit it to the AHIMS Registrar, following authorised impacts to an AHIMS sites that are:
a) a result of test excavation carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Archaeological Investigation of Aboriginal Objects in NSW
b) authorised by an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) issued by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH)
c) undertaken for the purpose of complying with Director General Requirements issued by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DP&I) for:
State Significant Development (SSD - Part 4),
State Significant Infrastructure (SSI - Part 5.1) or
a Major Project (Part 3A – now repealed) under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), or
d) authorised by a SSD/SSI/Part 3A consent/approval under the EP&A Act.
In all other circumstances, completion and submission of the ASIR form is voluntary.
When using this form, please note that:
This form is intended to complement (not replace) the AHIMS site recording form. Where there is a need to provide detailed information about the nature of a site, use the AHIMS site recording form.
The use of this form does not replace the need to submit reports toOEH (as specified in the Code of Practice for Archaeological Investigation of Aboriginal Objects in NSW; by a condition of your AHIP; or by your SSD/SSI/Part 3A Director General’s Requirements and/or consent/approval conditions). This form must be submitted in addition to any reports.
The submitted ASIR form will be made available on AHIMS as an addendum to the original AHIMS site recording form.
A datum is a reference value from which other values in a map can be calculated. It ensures that all the positions in a map are consistent and accurate. Therefore it is extremely important that the correct datum is recorded when using the AHIMS site recording form, otherwise relocation of the site would be very hard. Information about the datum can be obtained from your GPS under properties or settings menus, or near the legend of any appropriate map. Most GPS default settings are GDA94. Similarly most third generation maps in Australia are now produced with GDA94 datum.
Worldwide there are 60 UTM zones. The easting measurements are based on these zones. In NSW there are three zones: 54 in the west, zone 55 in the middle and zone 56 along the coast. Therefore it is important that the UTM zone is correctly indicated otherwise the site would be plotted incorrectly in AHIMS. Please verify your GPS or Map when recording the UTM zone.
This field is very important because it allows the chronological tracking of site recording, inspection and management.
A major change in AHIMS is the introduction of Site Features that replaced the old Site Type method of classifying Aboriginal sites. The new system requires that either an Open Site or Enclosed Shelter Site context be first established. Once this Site Context is set then the Site Types have been mapped to the relevant Site Features.
The rule for determining the site context is as follows:
If the Site has any of the following Site Types:
- Shelter with Art OR
- Shelter with Deposit OR
- Shelter with Midden OR
- Shelter with PAD THEN
- The Site Context = Enclosed Site
Otherwise, the Site Context = Open Site
Documents to download
Page last updated: 13 April 2012
