Non-intrusive archaeological surveying techniques are a fundamental and beneficial process that are often the first step of an archaeological project. The wide variety of non-intrusive techniques can be adapted and used separately or jointly to suit the demands of the site and provide critical data. This data can be used to make research design and narrow down a site to the most promisingly productive areas to excavate to save time and money. Also, once a site is determined can be used to create a desk-based assessment to submit for budgets or to authorities for permits. After excavations commence the data can help make determinations by incorporating it into a Geographic Information System (GIS) which can record and document a site. There
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Fieldwalking is a systematic surface survey based on human ability rather than technology; a group of people walk parallel to each other transecting a site, looking for any artifacts that are then flagged or collected and noted down. This type of surveying is well established in its use, alt-hough technology like GPS location and aerial photography have increased its efficiency and the speed which an area can be examined (Banning, 2002). Of course, the obvious problem with the technique is that the site must have surface finds and can be easily traversed, like a ploughed field. In a survey project in Ke-phalle´nia, Greece a group of specialists used fieldwalking to determine the types of landscapes that covered their concession area or the place allowed to excavate by the authorities. Because of the dense vegetation of the site, the teams soon realized that strictly orienting their transverse search to compass lines and topo-graphical maps, led them towards impassable areas and away from possible find areas. They decided it would just be better to leave the planning of the area of search to the field walkers themselves when on site (“Field Methods”, …show more content…
It can be used through the whole process of project from discovery, to excavation and future preserva-tion. Non-Intrusive surveying can also benefit an excavation by giving it context through the emerging field of Landscape Archaeology. Landscape Archaeology is the study of the area around sites, how a site works itself into its environment can offer insights on who the people were, why was this site chosen and perhaps the movement of people in the environment. The aerial photography project using the CORONA satellites is a perfect example of this, by understanding the area around Nineveh it can shed light on the way the city was supported and how its citizens interacted with the environment around them. The techniques I present-ed all have their benefits and drawbacks. They produce different types of results, have limitations, cost fac-tors and all can be utilized to compliment various needs and conditions. Traditional methods still hold-up like field-walking helped navigate potential sites in Greece and spy photography allowed archaeologists to explore new areas in the Middle East. New advancements like LIDAR provide the ability to map below once impenetrable tree cover in rainforests in Honduras. The other new advancement of geophysics allowed archaeologists the chance to find ancient clay pits thought lost in
Fieldwalking is a systematic surface survey based on human ability rather than technology; a group of people walk parallel to each other transecting a site, looking for any artifacts that are then flagged or collected and noted down. This type of surveying is well established in its use, alt-hough technology like GPS location and aerial photography have increased its efficiency and the speed which an area can be examined (Banning, 2002). Of course, the obvious problem with the technique is that the site must have surface finds and can be easily traversed, like a ploughed field. In a survey project in Ke-phalle´nia, Greece a group of specialists used fieldwalking to determine the types of landscapes that covered their concession area or the place allowed to excavate by the authorities. Because of the dense vegetation of the site, the teams soon realized that strictly orienting their transverse search to compass lines and topo-graphical maps, led them towards impassable areas and away from possible find areas. They decided it would just be better to leave the planning of the area of search to the field walkers themselves when on site (“Field Methods”, …show more content…
It can be used through the whole process of project from discovery, to excavation and future preserva-tion. Non-Intrusive surveying can also benefit an excavation by giving it context through the emerging field of Landscape Archaeology. Landscape Archaeology is the study of the area around sites, how a site works itself into its environment can offer insights on who the people were, why was this site chosen and perhaps the movement of people in the environment. The aerial photography project using the CORONA satellites is a perfect example of this, by understanding the area around Nineveh it can shed light on the way the city was supported and how its citizens interacted with the environment around them. The techniques I present-ed all have their benefits and drawbacks. They produce different types of results, have limitations, cost fac-tors and all can be utilized to compliment various needs and conditions. Traditional methods still hold-up like field-walking helped navigate potential sites in Greece and spy photography allowed archaeologists to explore new areas in the Middle East. New advancements like LIDAR provide the ability to map below once impenetrable tree cover in rainforests in Honduras. The other new advancement of geophysics allowed archaeologists the chance to find ancient clay pits thought lost in