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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center / Educators

Archaeology Terms

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Surface Survey

Surface survey Surface or “pedestrian” survey is the most common way to find sites in plowed fields. Crews, such as this group of volunteers, line up and sweep across fields looking for artifacts exposed by plowing. Surface survey works best when there is little vegetation covering the ground, such as in the spring.

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MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This project was supported in part by the National Science Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.