Combining machine control and a skilled operator to help archaeology

作者：Karina Lykke Lumholt
Video specialist:帕梅拉·阿尔梅达（Pamela Almeida）

目前，在丹麦的奥登斯（Odense）挖掘了大约10公顷/25英亩的面积，然后被布置为建造。奥登城市博物馆及其大型考古学家团队负责研究，挖掘和保存该地区的史前史，策展人雅各布·邦德（Jakob Bonde）正在领导发掘。

“我们发现了一个现有村庄的一部分，我们可以追溯到公元1200年左右的中世纪”雅各布解释说。

南部的这个中世纪的站点,考古学家were thrilled to find an even earlier site. A burial place with cremation graves from the Roman Iron Age (500 B.C. to 400 A.D.).

挖掘搜索沟渠开始了考古发掘，以获得沉积物的侧面（分层）视图。这确立了该地区是否有考古对象或材料，并按时间顺序排列它们。

如果初步检查后在现场发现考古发现，则挖掘机将精心删除表土。Fuglsanggård公司的Thomas Petersen专门使用配备Leica IXE3机器控制的挖掘机进行考古项目。

“We started working with Thomas about four years ago. It is very helpful for us that he has this equipment because it’s making our job easier when we don’t have to measure everything. He can help us setting out the test trenches and the areas that we shall excavate, and when we are finished, we level everything out again,雅各布说。

It takes finesse to use an excavator for archaeology projects

The excavator carefully removes the topsoil, and if the archaeologists find something, the Leica GS12 GNSS antenna and the CS15 controller are used to digitally record the exact positions of the find and report it back to the museum. Wooden pegs are placed in the soil so the archaeologists can look for traces of houses, pits, wells and graves in the designated area.

“我正在接受训练，可以发现柱孔，urn坟墓或其他坟墓。我知道考古学家正在寻找什么，我可以在挖掘重要的东西之前停止挖掘机。它需要耐心和感知，以免挖掘太深，” says Thomas Petersen.

Thomas receives the outline with GNSS coordinates for the project from the museum, throughLeica ConXto theMC1在卡宾内控制面板上的软件。他使用机器控制解决方案将该区域的所有高度与挖掘机的铲斗和功能记录创建模型在MC1中，可以即时创建表面模型。优势在于，他确切地知道一旦挖掘完成了多少材料以及何处。

点的记录以创建表面模型。

Thomas uses the newly releasedsemi-automatic functionality in MC1填充材料时。

“It makes it easier to fill back material in the correct heights using the one-hand-operation. I don’t risk not having enough material, I can create a smoother surface than I can manually, and I get it right the first time!” explains Thomas.