A comprehensive and practical guide to surveying for archaeologists, with clear instructions in archaeological mapping, recording field work and detailed case studies from the UK, Europe and the US. Philip Howard provides a user’s guide to methods and instruments of surveying to enable archaeologists to represent their own fieldwork confidently and independently. Archaeological Surveying is an invaluable resource which: provides beginner’s instructions to software used in computerised surveying, including IntelliCAD 2000, Terrain Tools, Christine GIS and Global Mapper introduces the archaeologist to a range of surveying instruments such as GPS, electronic distance measures, theodolites and magnetic compasses includes low-cost software. This textbook is an essential read for any field archaeologists who are in need of an introduction to surveying, or simply wish to update their techniques.

This practical volume, the first book in the Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique series, examines in detail the factors that affect archaeological detectability in surveys whose methods range from visual to remote sensing in land, underwater, and intertidal zones - furnishing a comprehensive treatment of prospection, parameter estimation, model building, and detection of spatial structure.

Although the preparation of plans is an essential part of the work of a field archaeologist or excavator, many University Departments of Archaeology give very little attention to surveying, regarding it as a subject which should either be left to technicians or picked up during work in the field. As a result, some archaeologists do not even realise that their survey techniques are unsatisfactory. Others, driven by the requirements of their work, devise idiosyncratic methods which are inherently liable to inaccuracy and unnecessarily laborious. The object of this book is to enable archaeologists, even without relevant training, to deal with any problem in surveying. The book is arranged by technique for ease of reference. Thus one part is devoted to Chain Surveying, which has evolved over centuries into the simplest and quickest way of making accurate plans for most types of site; but methods of reconnaissance and of rough survey are also described. Since instrumental work is sometimes necessary, details are given of the construction and use of the Level and of the Theodolite and Tacheometer. Simple but accurate methods those not requiring a computer are described for plotting from oblique aerial photographs, and although numerical calculations are seldom needed in archaeological surveys, there are occasions when they can save considerable time and labour, so fully worked examples are given of all relevant calculations, with alternatives according to whether logarithms or an electronic calculator are available."

Two longtime fieldworkers offer mentors' advice on finding and mapping archaeological sites. They outline the logic behind field surveying and the various designs used for survey projects. Recognizing that logistical issues—like schedule, budget, and equipment—are equally important to complete the job, particularly in a cultural resource management context, the authors also guide new professionals through the practical details of their work. The volume also ranges through the legal and ethical context of fieldwork and the various geophysical methods available for non-intrusive surveying. As a handy guide for novices, or a text for students and field schools, Collins and Molyneaux's book will be the place to start.

Undergraduate level teaching text on surveying, aimed at archaeologists.

Earth Resistance for Archaeologists, written by the foremost expert in the field, provides archaeologists with the know-how required to exploit the significant potential of earth resistance methods. A wide variety of possible uses are presented, including cases where earth resistance surveys succeeded in mapping buried archaeological remains that magnetometer surveys were unable to detect. Examples include earth resistance data from many archaeological sites, including in England, Scotland, Nepal, Bangladesh, and more. The archaeological features that can be detected through earth resistance methods are varied, ranging from ditches, pits, and grave cuts to stone and brick foundations, and even include whole landscapes. Whereas area surveys were traditionally the most common earth resistance method, depth profiling and vertical imaging have become well-developed tools that allow electrical depth investigations in three dimensions. Both techniques are described in detail and archaeologists will be able to apply them in their work. Content is equally relevant for environmental investigations.