19th April 2012, 05:20 AM
GPS is just another tool, albeit a very useful one. I think it is essential that every site is adequately located to either a local grid or national or global system and GPS is just the best tool at quickly and efficiently achieving that end.
It is untrue to say that GPS doesn't work, but there is a degree of accuracy involved and this comes down (largely) to a question of how much you are willing to pay for your GPS equipment. Imagine a tape measure that is only graduated in metre intervals, another that is graduated in 10cm and another in millimetres. Each could be useful in different tasks but some more than others. You wouldn't want to use the 'metre' tape to measure something that requires millimetre accuracy. The same analogy can be applied to types of GPS equipment.
I think the deskilling debate is interesting, but we shouldn't be Luddite about this. There are some devices that make our lives better and more effiicient. The trick with technology and archaeology is to make sure that the savings and efficiences are re-invested in archaeology and archaeologists and not just taken out of the system entirely.
It is untrue to say that GPS doesn't work, but there is a degree of accuracy involved and this comes down (largely) to a question of how much you are willing to pay for your GPS equipment. Imagine a tape measure that is only graduated in metre intervals, another that is graduated in 10cm and another in millimetres. Each could be useful in different tasks but some more than others. You wouldn't want to use the 'metre' tape to measure something that requires millimetre accuracy. The same analogy can be applied to types of GPS equipment.
I think the deskilling debate is interesting, but we shouldn't be Luddite about this. There are some devices that make our lives better and more effiicient. The trick with technology and archaeology is to make sure that the savings and efficiences are re-invested in archaeology and archaeologists and not just taken out of the system entirely.
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...