The Discovery Programme

Surveying has traditionally been defined as the science and art of determining the relative positions of points on, above or beneath the surface of the earth, or the establishment of such points. In a more general sense, surveying can be regarded as a discipline that encompasses all methods of gathering and processing information regarding the physical earth and environment. This section of our website explains some of the processes and technologies behind surveying.

Archaeologists have always been concerned with representing archaeological monuments in some sort of graphical form, to convey their interpretations of a site, or simply to allow the lay-person to appreciate the subtleties of a monument's structure. The introduction of digital surveying instruments and automated data-logging into the measurement of archaeological monuments and complexes has been a step towards a more flexible record of site morphology and topographical context, rather than the statics paper plans which were the previous standard. There are obvious advantages to using these modern survey techniques as an effective recording procedure and as a tool for analysis. They define, through basic geometry, the size, shape and extent of the features under consideration with various degrees of accuracy and detail, depending on the methodology. In an archaeological context, this means that the size, morphology, local setting and structural features of a site can be represented in a variety of formats, simplifying the visualization process and conveying more information. In addition to this standard end-product, the digital model of the monument or landscape can be augmented by volume analysis, profile generation, intervisibility studies, reconstruction and de-construction, providing valuable additions to our information database. In essence, the data are dynamic, with the advantage that the integrity of the original data set is always maintained, thereby providing a permanent record of the site as it existed at the time of the survey.

The archaeologist should have some understanding of modern survey technologies, their potential and limitations when approaching sites to be surveyed. They need to consider why survey is being proposed, what results they hope to achieve from the survey, and what resources they have available. Similarly, the surveyor carrying out the work should be able to advise on the details, and should have experience with, and a competent understanding of the nature of archaeological monuments to select the appropriate survey technology.