16th July 2013, 10:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 16th July 2013, 10:32 PM by kevin wooldridge.)
By a strange coincidence I was thinking about the art of archaeological drawing out on site today as I measured in structure no 1000+ with the robotic total station......is it a dying art?
I don't disagree with anything Jack has said on the subject (those are the skills acquired in my youth), but on the last 3 or 4 commercial projects I have been involved with in the UK and all of my work here in Norway, the amount of pencil to paper or pencil to film drawing has been minimal.....of course there are other skills involved. Drawn plans and profiles from rectified and geo-referenced photographs for example, but not so much for the on-site digger to be involved with at the section-face. Also hear colleagues whispering about the introduction of what I call the 'etch a sketch' revolution - user interface combined with digital data capture on Palm Pilots/I-pads and the like. Of course there will always be folk who prefer manual drawing (and sketching), but is it such a vital skill as it once was and can the ever increasing 'efficiency' of commercial archaeology justify such 'out-dated' techniques?
I don't disagree with anything Jack has said on the subject (those are the skills acquired in my youth), but on the last 3 or 4 commercial projects I have been involved with in the UK and all of my work here in Norway, the amount of pencil to paper or pencil to film drawing has been minimal.....of course there are other skills involved. Drawn plans and profiles from rectified and geo-referenced photographs for example, but not so much for the on-site digger to be involved with at the section-face. Also hear colleagues whispering about the introduction of what I call the 'etch a sketch' revolution - user interface combined with digital data capture on Palm Pilots/I-pads and the like. Of course there will always be folk who prefer manual drawing (and sketching), but is it such a vital skill as it once was and can the ever increasing 'efficiency' of commercial archaeology justify such 'out-dated' techniques?
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...