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>> I try to keep that in mind when I’m excavating today; scholars of the future are counting on us to leave the best documentation we can. The answer is to st

>> I try to keep that in mind when I’m excavating today; scholars of the future are counting on us to leave the best documentation we can. The answer is to stop digging. It is understood that imaging techniques will eventually be good enough that artifacts may soon be studdied without disturbing the surrounding soil, without destroying all that evidence that future generations might be able to use. Of course that means disrupting the dig-to-museum/auction/television pipeline that funds the field.

rastignack 2y ago
Who knows what will happen in Syria in the next decades. We need to document as much as we can, while we can.
- detourdog 2y ago
  Here is something regarding a 3d scan of a building destroyed by Isis. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/27/isis-palmyra-3d-technology-copy-rebuild-city-venice-biennale https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/27/isis-palmyra-...
mmooss 2y ago
> It is understood that imaging techniques will eventually be good enough that artifacts may soon be studdied without disturbing the surrounding soil Who understands that? It's very interesting. Is there somewhere in archaeology where it's discussed? Is there a paper or article? It might be interesting for HN's front page.
- detourdog 2y ago
  I have heard old time time tv episodes explain that. They were asked why sto digging a site and that was the answer. Archeology seems to be self aware as a discipline. The modern participants have been ham strung by earlier generations.
- sandworm101 2y ago
  It is happening today. Chambers inside Egypt's great pyramid were detected in 2016 using muon imaging. It was a slow process but radically less damaging than the alternatives such as drilling test holes. More commonly, ground penetrating radar is regularly used to avoid digging test or exploratory trenches across sites. As resolution increases, fewer and fewer trenches need be dug. Scans are often used years prior to digging as a non-invasive way to confirm the existance of structures in aid of grant proposals. At some point, the scans will be the entire dig.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - mmooss 2y ago
    I've heard of that application, but will it detect faint writing, which experts weren't intially sure was writing, on a 4 cm long piece of rock? I don't that's happening any time soon.
    - sandworm101 2y ago
      They said that about x-rays. Now we have cat scan machines.
      - mmooss 2y ago
        Who said what about x-rays? And what is your argument? Because x-ray technology developed to CT scanning, then all technology will develop infinitely?

rastignack 2y ago

Who knows what will happen in Syria in the next decades. We need to document as much as we can, while we can.

detourdog 2y ago
Here is something regarding a 3d scan of a building destroyed by Isis. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/27/isis-palmyra-3d-technology-copy-rebuild-city-venice-biennale https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/27/isis-palmyra-...

mmooss 2y ago

> It is understood that imaging techniques will eventually be good enough that artifacts may soon be studdied without disturbing the surrounding soil Who understands that? It's very interesting. Is there somewhere in archaeology where it's discussed? Is there a paper or article? It might be interesting for HN's front page.

detourdog 2y ago
I have heard old time time tv episodes explain that. They were asked why sto digging a site and that was the answer. Archeology seems to be self aware as a discipline. The modern participants have been ham strung by earlier generations.
sandworm101 2y ago
It is happening today. Chambers inside Egypt's great pyramid were detected in 2016 using muon imaging. It was a slow process but radically less damaging than the alternatives such as drilling test holes. More commonly, ground penetrating radar is regularly used to avoid digging test or exploratory trenches across sites. As resolution increases, fewer and fewer trenches need be dug. Scans are often used years prior to digging as a non-invasive way to confirm the existance of structures in aid of grant proposals. At some point, the scans will be the entire dig.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- mmooss 2y ago
  I've heard of that application, but will it detect faint writing, which experts weren't intially sure was writing, on a 4 cm long piece of rock? I don't that's happening any time soon.
  - sandworm101 2y ago
    They said that about x-rays. Now we have cat scan machines.
    - mmooss 2y ago
      Who said what about x-rays? And what is your argument? Because x-ray technology developed to CT scanning, then all technology will develop infinitely?