Rural or Urban site? Multi-phase or single-context recording?
The Holy Grail for all archaeologists interested in excavating in the UK is: Archaeological Site Manual, MoLAS 1994 (Third Edition) aka MoLAS Manual. Click on the name to download a 1.67mb pdf which comprises of 128 pages. I recommend all archaeologists to have access to the manual via electronic or hard copy.
What’s the strat? Whether you need to make a Stratagraphic Matrix or Plan Matrix, download a copy of the manual from: http://harrismatrix.com/
behind the trowel 