Debate: Should we always use ground-penetrating radar before a dig?

I used to just start digging based on surface finds, but after a 2022 dig in New Mexico where we missed a whole burial site, I now insist on a full GPR survey first. Has anyone else had a find that changed their field methods?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.emma3d ago

Honestly, used to be on team "just dig" myself. The cost and time for GPR seemed like a lot for maybe nothing. A project last year changed that for good, though. We were about to put a trench right through what turned out to be a colonial-era cellar hole. The GPR pinged it clear as day. Now the idea of not checking first makes me really nervous, like we're working blind. It just feels irresponsible not to use the tool if you have access to it.

charliew993d ago

Yeah, "working blind" is a good way to put it. I read a case study where skipping a scan led to hitting a fiber line and shutting down a whole block. The fix cost way more than the survey would have. It just seems like a no-brainer now.