Remember when we had to map a dig site by hand with string and nails?

I was looking at some old field notes from a dig near Cahokia Mounds about 15 years ago. We spent days just laying out a basic grid with string and stakes. Now, a total station or even a good GPS unit can map the same area in a couple of hours with way better accuracy. It's wild how much time that frees up for the actual digging and analysis. Anyone else miss the old methods, even if the new ones are clearly better?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_cooper1mo ago

Used to think it was a waste of time... but that slow work really made you learn the site.

olivia_rivera881mo ago

Disagree with that take honestly. Slow work just burns hours without real progress. I learned way more by jumping into the deep end and fixing my mistakes fast. Getting stuff actually built taught me the real limits of the platform. Watching a clock tick on small tasks never gave me that same feel.

willow40717d ago

Wouldn't the real learning come from both though? I get what you're saying about jumping in and fixing mistakes, that hands-on crash course has its own value for sure. But from my experience, slow work isn't just watching the clock, it's more about building a mental map of the platform so you don't make the same mistakes over and over. Once you understand the underlying rules, then the fast-paced building becomes way more efficient because you're not just guessing and patching things up. The deep end is great for getting your feet wet, but having that slower foundation underneath saved me from a lot of headaches later on, your mileage may vary of course.