Task Archaeology

Use when session history is missing or incomplete but the user provides a task name, hash, or directory.

Recovery order

1. Resolve the task with task_api.py describe <identifier>; do not pass task directory names as session IDs.
2. If runtime/ exists, read runtime/INDEX.md FIRST — it is the resumable execution snapshot after machine restart or context compression. Drill down from its rows into the item's TODO.md / LOG.md / MEMORY.md to locate unfinished (todo) or blocked work. Recovery relies on this on-disk state, never on chat history.
3. Read TASK.md, root MEMORY.md, and recent root CHANGELOG.md.
4. When hierarchical, read each relevant subsystem MEMORY and recent CHANGELOG.
5. Read README.md and .hermes-task.json for creation time, outputs, and relationships.
6. Resolve dependencies, related tasks, superseded tasks, and named outputs.
7. Inventory input/, output/docs/, output/logs/, and scripts.
8. Cross-reference repository branches and commits by timestamps and artifact paths.
9. State what is directly evidenced, inferred, missing, and still blocked.

Task artifacts are evidence of task state, not a verbatim transcript. Never invent user statements from file outcomes.

Result

Return the reconstructed goal, decisions, produced artifacts, verification, unresolved issues, and exact continuation point, with file paths for every claim.