Methods Archaeologists Use

Methods Archaeologists Use to Locate New Sites
By Mary Anne Winslow

Archaeology is a very interesting subject and many people get very excited and anxious when they hear or learn about new discoveries done in this area of science. This is a very appealing study as it reveals our history and life style of our ancestors. The scientists always used their own hands, eyes and guesses to look for such places of ancient history and interest, but as the new technologies are being developed the methods of survey change as well.

Although the human eye is an extremely important instrument in the location of rescue archaeology sites, over the years, more advanced techniques have been developed. In this article, I shall look at three of these: geological survey techniques; ground survey techniques; metal detectors.

Geological Survey involves the use of a variety of methods and techniques to produce a detailed map of what is below the surface of the area being surveyed. The primary techniques are Magnetometry and Resistivity. Geophysical survey techniques are the most commonly used method of site identification when a suspected archaeological site lies beneath the land surface. They are non-intrusive and are subsequently invaluable when excavation is not possible.