27th April 2012, 01:04 PM
Unitof1 Wrote:http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/catpres..._AREA2.jpg
This "image" seems to have white lines drawn in it. How did they get there and what are they supposed to represent? By what method was the site excavated?
Wall following?
Sorry - I don't know the answers I'm afraid - it's not a project I've had any personal involvement in, but simply one I came across on-line.
Others on the group may have more detailed information, but I suspect that the white lines on the plan derrive from EDM/GPS gathered point data.
My reason for raising it was simply to show an example of a practical application of a technology that until recently wouldn't have been viable on a commercial site. I'm not promoting this as a wholesale replacement for hand drawn plans. As others have mentioned there is a danger that over reliance on technology could lead to people not looking at or interpreting the archaeology in the field. That being said technology is also a useful weapon to have as part of an arsenal of techniques.
In this case I feel that the 3D oblique image of a complex sequence of brick walls in an engaging image and adds value to the project. It may also have provided a level of detail that may not have been otherwise affordable or achievable in the time frames of the project.
I think it also has a value beyond a pure record, to me it is likely to be much easier to understand and comprehend by non-archaeologists. To the general public a 3D model that can be manipulated might be easier to visualise and engage with than traditional technical paper plans and sections. If it can provide a record of an acceptable standard, in a cost effective manner, whilst adding additional value I think we'd be pretty stupid to ignore new technologies for the sake of tradition - the 'we've always done it that way' mentality.
I feel for some sites such imaging may prove to be a much more 'powerful' record- it goes beyond simply recording what brick went where. Whilst we need to ensure an acurate record we also need to think why we're doing archaeology - if technology helps to explain archaeology to the public we should seek ways to use it more effectively.