Small finds is an archaeological term for artifacts discovered on

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

which are somewhat special compared with the common finds for that

type site In archaeology, a type site is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture or other typological unit, which is often named after it. For example, discoveries at La Tène and Hallstatt led scholars to divide the European Iron A ...

or type phase on multi phasic sites. The special nature of the find is dictated by research agendas and the information the artifact can provide. Examples of the increased importance of small finds over other finds would be coins being often thought of as small finds whereas pottery sherd as just finds. The reason is

coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

can be much more specific when it comes to dating evidence. Small finds are usually treated differently in the recording system; often they are recorded on

plan A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions through which one expects to achieve a goal. ...

rather than being attributed to a single

context Context may refer to: * Context (language use), the relevant constraints of the communicative situation that influence language use, language variation, and discourse summary Computing * Context (computing), the virtual environment required to su ...

like other generic finds.

See also