4.3 Site Mapping and Documentation

Archaeologists use cutting-edge tools to map and document sites. Total stations, GPS, and photogrammetry create precise 3D models and measurements. These methods preserve crucial info about artifact locations and site layout before excavation alters everything.

Site documentation is vital for piecing together past human activities. Detailed plans and profiles show how artifacts and features relate spatially and chronologically. Digital tech like GIS and 3D modeling revolutionize how archaeologists analyze and share their findings.

Site Mapping Methods and Technologies

Methods of site mapping

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• Total station electronic surveying instrument measures angles and distances
  • Consists of electronic theodolite integrated with electronic distance meter (EDM)
  • Allows precise mapping of archaeological features and artifacts
  • Data directly recorded and exported to computer software for processing
• Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-based navigation system provides location and time information
  • Handheld GPS receivers record coordinates of archaeological features and artifacts
  • Differential GPS (DGPS) offers higher accuracy by correcting GPS signals using reference station
  • GPS data integrated with GIS software for spatial analysis and visualization
• Photogrammetry technique uses photographs to create accurate 3D models and measurements
  • Overlapping aerial or ground-based photographs taken of archaeological site
  • Specialized software processes images to generate 3D point clouds, digital elevation models (DEMs), and orthomosaics
  • Provides high-resolution, photorealistic documentation of archaeological features and landscapes

Importance of site documentation

• Preservation of archaeological information as sites often destroyed or altered during excavation
  • Accurate documentation ensures original context and relationships between features and artifacts recorded for future reference and analysis
• Detailed site documentation allows reconstruction of past human activities and site formation processes
  • Spatial relationships between features and artifacts provide insights into site function, chronology, and social organization
• Standardized documentation methods enable comparisons between different sites and regions
  • Consistent data collection facilitates integration of information from multiple sources and development of broader archaeological interpretations
• Site documentation crucial for effective management and protection of archaeological resources
  • Accurate records inform decisions related to site conservation, restoration, and public outreach

Site Documentation Techniques and Interpretation

Creation of site plans

• Site plans horizontal representation of archaeological site, showing spatial distribution of features and artifacts
  • Created using surveying equipment (total station, GPS) or photogrammetry
  • Include scale, north arrow, legend, and key elevations
  • Used to understand site layout, organization, and relationships between features
• Profiles and sections vertical representation of archaeological site, showing stratigraphy and relationships between layers
  • Created by drawing exposed faces of excavation units or trenches
  • Include scale, elevations, and descriptions of soil layers and features
  • Used to understand site formation processes, chronology, and changes over time
• Interpretation combines horizontal and vertical information to reconstruct past human activities and site development
  1. Identify patterns, associations, and anomalies in spatial distribution of features and artifacts
  2. Integrate stratigraphic information to establish relative and absolute chronologies
  3. Collaborate with specialists (geomorphologists, archaeobotanists) to interpret site formation processes and paleoenvironments

Digital technologies in archaeology

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer-based tools for capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying spatial data
  • Integrate various types of archaeological data (site plans, artifact distributions, environmental information)
  • Enable complex spatial analyses (viewshed analysis, least-cost path analysis, predictive modeling)
  • Facilitate creation of interactive maps and visualizations for research and public outreach
• 3D modeling and visualization technologies (photogrammetry, laser scanning) allow creation of detailed 3D models of archaeological features and artifacts
  • 3D models used for documentation, analysis, and visualization purposes
  • Virtual and augmented reality applications enhance public engagement and understanding of archaeological sites
• Database management systems store, organize, and query archaeological data
  • Relational databases integrate spatial and attribute data
  • Facilitate data sharing, standardization, and long-term preservation
• Remote sensing techniques (satellite imagery, aerial photography, geophysical prospection) provide non-invasive methods for site detection and mapping
  • Remote sensing data guides excavation strategies and contributes to landscape-scale archaeological analyses