The Munsell Soil-Color Charts (Munsell Color 2009b) were originally designed for soil scientists, but have been adopted by archaeologists for describing color in a variety of contexts, including artifacts. Unfortunately, the range of hues in these charts does not include all the colors encountered in archaeology.
        The following charts have been designed especially for archaeologists to insert into the Munsell Color Charts for Plant Tissues (Munsell Color 1977), The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011), and the Geological Rock-Color Chart (Munsell Color 2009a).  For the names on these charts, precedence is always given to those included in the Munsell Soil-Color Charts because of their long-standing use in archaeology.  Where these do not exist, the ISCC-NBS system is followed (Kelly and Judd 1976), a nomenclature employed by many other disciplines. While the names on the diagrams included with the Geological Rock-Color Chart are based on the ISCC-NBS system, they depart from it in many instances (Goddard et al. 1963). This compromise will provide archaeologists with an objective color terminology, while remaining consistent with past publications.

Color Name Diagrams for the Geological Rock-Color Chart (pdf)

Color Name Diagrams for the Munsell Color Charts for Plant Tissues (pdf)

Color Name Diagrams for the New Munsell Student Color Set (pdf)

To use these name diagrams, print the appropriate file at 100% scale, cut along the outer line of each page, and punch holes through the circles on the right. Then insert each page into the binding of the color chart set, facing the appropriate hue page. Color notations can then be matched with names in the same way as in the Munsell Soil-Color Charts (see Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1

The 7.5GY hue page of the Munsell Color Charts for Plant Tissues (Munsell Color 1977), showing the proposed color name chart inserted on the left-hand page. The 14th century a.d. molded bowl rim from Masuh, Jordan (Reg. No. MS01.SS.29) has a 7.5GY 4/6 moderate olive green exterior glaze.

Figure 2

The 5B hue page of The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011), showing the proposed color name chart inserted on the left-hand page. The color of the Byzantine-Umayyad glass rim fragment from Masuh, Jordan (Reg. No. MS01.SS.3) is 5B 8/4 very light greenish-blue at its thickest.

,References

Goddard, E. N., P. D. Trask, R. K. DeFord, O. N. Rove, J. T. Singewald, Jr., and R. M. Overbeck. 1963. Rock-Color Chart. New York: The Geological Society of America.

Kelly, K. L., and D. B. Judd. 1976. Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names. U.S. National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 440. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce.

Long, J. T. 2011. The New Munsell Student Color Set. New York: Fairchild Books.

Munsell Color. 1977. Munsell Color Charts for Plant Tissues. New Windsor, New York: Munsell Color.

Munsell Color. 2009b. Munsell Soil-Color Charts. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Munsell Color.