#surface collection

[archaeologysucks]

Surface collection finds from near a mid-1800s trading post in Montana. Four fragments of glass and one of bone.

[uwlmvac]

Archaeology Field Survey

An archaeological field survey is the systematic examination of the surface of the land for the purpose of locating and recording archaeological sites.

[uwlmvac]

How do you find artifacts? Under the right conditions, they're literally sitting right there on the ground waiting for you. The plow mixes up the top 8 inches of soil each year and brings up more artifacts. A gentle rain can wash the soil off artifacts, and then they're visible, like you see in this video. Avocational archaeologists have helped professionals report many sites through surface collecting. There are some basic rules: 

1) Get permission from the landowner to "walk" a field (and don't collect on public lands or on the river banks-that's illegal).

2) Walk systematically over the ground, scanning for artifacts.

3) Keep track of where the artifacts are found. Often that's on a higher piece of ground. Marking finds on a map printed from Google Earth is a great way to keep track.

4) If you find something, MVAC's Stewardship page has more info on keeping records and reporting your finds to an archaeologist https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/past-cultures/point-guide/#Stewardship.