Archaeological Surveys in Light of New Technologies

The focus of the session is to reflect on the nature of information that is/can be captured through archaeological survey, and to explore the interpretative challenges and opportunities that survey information offer beyond simply 'identifying sites'. We will address these questions in light of the ever increasing adoption of information and computing technology, both, in the field and in the lab. Does the adoption of new technology open up new research venues? Are we applying these technologies to resolve old questions perhaps in a more efficient and expeditious manner? Can we identify common trends, and more importantly, gaps in our patterns of use? At which stage of the survey process is technology being used most (e.g. planning, conducting, processing)? How well suited is current technology for the rigors of the field? What aspects of technology (e.g. battery power, processing, connectivity, user interface) are most critical and in what way? To what extent these, and similar questions, open new interpretative opportunities?