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In the last decade, archaeological fieldwork has seen the increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs, also: drones) and photogrammetrical techniques as tools for mapping archaeological traces in two and three dimensions. Drones allow for great control over the collection of imagery and in combination with photogrammetry put airborne 3D data capture at the disposal of archaeologists, whether they are dealing with excavations, monuments, or complete landscapes. The success of applying any new tool must however be judged in the end by a careful assessment of its tangible improvements of the primary data collection process considering expended project resources. In this context, it is important to point out that the added value of producing, often still laborious, 3D models for the primary process of data collection in field archaeology is not yet completely self-evident. Although 3D recording may be a useful additional layer of documentation for those who can afford it, the question remains to what degree the time, equipment and personnel investment actually improves our capabilities of doing archaeology. In this paper, I propose a new, well-defined, transparent and standardized mapping approach based on the combination of a budget UAS and straightforward photogrammetrical techniques, fully embedded in the workflow of knowledge production in archaeological excavation. I will reflect on the future potential of this approach, as well as engage with the ongoing discussion about developments in the processes of documentation and interpretation.

This paper reports the results of a study into the effectiveness of core sampling for discovering Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherer sites in the Netherlands and northwestern Belgium. Earlier work established optimal sampling strategies for use in archaeological heritage management survey in the Netherlands. However, the statistical model used for this was based on a limited amount of data on the distribution of lithic artefacts in Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites. For the current study we have analyzed the distribution of artefacts in a selected number of excavated sites, and estimated discovery probabilities of these sites through simulation. The simulation results indicate that discovery probabilities are lower than expected due to the effect of clustering of finds. Furthermore, the density of flints in Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites is generally lower than the estimates that were used for setting up the optimal sampling strategies, and a substantial number of sites is very small. This means that, in order to discover Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites with sufficient reliability, we will have to apply more intensive survey strategies than have been recommended up to now. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

This paper reports a study on the effectivity and efficiency of trial trenching strategies for site discovery within the context of Dutch archaeological heritage management. It discusses the principles of site discovery by means of trial trenching, and suggests the optimal strategies for trial trenching survey, based on the results of simulations. Effective and efficient strategies for discovering different groups of archaeological sites are given, according to their presumed size, shape and feature density. The recommended strategies will be included in the Quality Norm for Dutch archaeology. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper discusses the composition of the vessel and window glass from three Late Antique Cypriot sites: Yeroskipou, Maroni-Petrera and Kalavasos-Kopetra. Over 170 glass fragments were sampled for quantitative chemical analysis through EPMA measurements. The aim of this work is to establish new insights on the chemical compositions of the glass from Late Antique Cypriot sites to observe the distribution of glass on the island. Furthermore, we compare our dataset with published data of contemporary materials from other regions. Four compositional groups were recognized and correlated to known chemical compositions: Levantine 1, Egypt 1, two types of HIMT glass, HIMTa and HIMTb, while a new group, High Lime Iron Manganese Titanium (HLIMT) has been defined. Glass was supplied to Cypriot glassmakers by both Egyptian and Syro-Palestinian primary producers. Nevertheless, we have observed a specific distribution pattern on the island. In the west, there is about 50:50 ratio between Levantine and Egyptian suppliers. On the contrary, in the central south coast the amount of Egyptian glass drops consistently, in particular in Kalavasos, leaving space to Levantine glass. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.