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Remembering the old way we used to map a dig site
Back in 2010, our crew was still using a total station and hand-drawn grids for everything, which took forever. Last year on a project in Tucson, we used a drone with photogrammetry software and had the whole site mapped in an afternoon. The detail was insane, we could spot subtle soil color changes we'd have missed before. Anyone else made that switch and found it changed how you plan your trenches?
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troy4392mo ago
Yeah that switch to drone mapping is a total game changer. We caught a bunch of subtle features last season that old grid methods would have walked right over. It totally changed where we decided to dig.
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schmidt.amy2mo ago
What kind of drone setup are you using? The detail you can get now is crazy compared to old photos. Makes you wonder what else we've been missing.
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the_miles2mo ago
Old grid methods would have walked right over" is so true! I spent a whole summer once doing a surface survey and basically just made a fancy map of where I tripped over my own feet. The tech now would have saved me from so much embarrassment and a few sprained ankles. It's wild how much we were probably missing by just looking at the ground from eye level. Getting that bird's eye view really does change everything.
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