- Alec McLellan, University of New Brunswick
- Cora Woolsey, ArchaeoSoft Inc.
This session will explore the use of innovative technology in archaeology and its implications for archaeological practice. Archaeologists now regularly use technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Side-Scan Sonar, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), 3D scanning and reconstructions of landscapes and artifacts, and technical software such as on-the-ground data capture applications and GIS. Increasingly, archaeologists are also exploring cutting-edge technologies such as Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, mechanical testing, and handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) to better collect and understand field data. Although technological innovations can increase the quality of archaeological data and breadth of what can be understood about the archaeological record, there are many unanswered questions about how to integrate and curate new kinds of data, whether stakeholders such as communities and the public are served better by the use of these technologies or are further left out of the process, and what kinds of standards and guidelines should be developed to regulate these new technologies. We invite papers that assess the impact of innovative technology and software on the practice of archeology and cultural heritage, including 1) their roles in creating meaningful collaborations between Indigenous communities and archaeologists; 2) concerns and considerations about data collection and storage that cannot be curated in traditional ways; 3) recommendations for how archaeological practice could be improved by widespread use of particular technologies; or 4) case studies in archaeology conducted with innovative technology. In addition, has technology/software helped to create collaborative relationships between archaeologists and stakeholders? Is technology accessible and used to its full extent in the discipline? Has technology/software affected the social and political goals of archaeology? By discussing the intersection between technology, archaeology, and stakeholder/rightsholders, this session will highlight some of the challenges faced by introducing new methods and applications in the industry.