Apple Tablet and Excavation
At Pompeii, they are using the Apple Tablet Device for data collection. It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about ever since the device hit the market, and it seems that they have done a great job with it. You can find a good deal of information at the web site Apple has devoted to it:
They are using a series of pre-existing applications to get the job done. I’m interested in taking a different approach with some custom development - more on that in a later post - but their efforts have the winning attribute of working today. I’m particularly struck by the efficiencies and time-savings this brings to the data collection process in archaeology. Everyone will be doing this in future years; and I think we’ll be watching this type of technology shape the actual way in which we do archaeology.
My friend Bill has some interesting thoughts on digital workflow on his blog, and I was particularly struck by my own reflection on how little we need paper anymore. As long as the digital tool is easy enough to use (and that’s a primary prerequisite) I can ‘t think of anything I would want to keep track of on paper, that I couldn’t do electronically. I can even easily keep track of changes in my thinking as more evidence comes to light during data collection.
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Comments:
Hey Erica -
Yes, I can see that there might be some differences. But one thing that is nice about the tablet is that there aren’t really any moving parts - so there is less concern about dust, etc. In terms of databases, even if the software is no longer in use it’s likely that the data will be accessible. I’d suggest that makes the importance of selecting a database platform all the more paramount. But with a little forethought it should be quite doable! Field notes would be very easy - you could always dump them to a text file.
Sam and Erica,
One other thing to consider is that very soon, paper will not nearly as accessible as digital material. Even large archives and libraries are no longer keeping complete paper copies of material on site and as paper becomes disperse to various remote storage units, it not only runs a greater risk of physical deterioration but also “out of sight, out of mind”. Of course digital data sets could suffer similar problems, but the advantage of digital data is that it is nearly infinitely replicable and very easy to store at negligible cost. Remember as digital copies become the norm, the cost of storing paper is likely to become more and more expensive.
Just another perspective.
Bill
That’s a good point Bill - I’m finding it increasingly difficult to get print versions of just about anything for research. I do think we’ve reached a point where digital content is easier to work with than print…
Sam and Bill,
I think you are both right, I can see it happening - eventually. We are talking about “old school” archaeologists and government agencies here, and both will be slow to pick up on this idea. Right now I think the problem lies not with the ease of use or quality or cost efficiency of digital content, but with convincing everyone to change they way they’ve always done things.
Hehe - you are right about the glacial speed with which we change our practices! This is one reason though why I’m a bit jazzed about the Archaeology and New Media text idea. Making effective use of technology requires an ability to carefully select the tools that will not only improve the work but also make it substantially easier. Without the ‘easy’ component, it almost always fails in implementation. So, I think it’s important to think about how we incorporate technology and new media into the way that we do archaeology so that we don’t end up heading down paths that don’t take us anywhere.
All that being said, the iPad is the real deal : )
I brought this up to Craig to see what his thoughts on its usefulness for CRM archaeology. He was a bit dubious, for a couple of reasons. He wasn’t sure about how it would hold up - the working conditions of CRM can be a lot different than a big excavation. Also, how well would the field notes archive? A paper trail can last a long time, but will electronic field notes become unreadable in ten years when the database program becomes obsolete? Is there a good way the information can be stored and shared for future (say 100 years from now) use?