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My field survey found a Roman coin hoard but my GPS unit died
Last summer I was out near Bath doing a routine field walking survey for a local heritage group. I spotted a couple of bronze coins poking out of a ploughed field, which was exciting enough. But then I found a cluster of maybe 20 more coins and realized I had stumbled onto a real hoard. I grabbed my handheld GPS to mark the spot precisely, and the battery died right as I was hitting the save button. Had to run back to the car for a backup GPS and hope I could eyeball the location again. Spent the next 20 minutes pacing around with a tape measure trying to triangulate from fence lines. The coins turned out to be from the 3rd century AD, but I learned the hard way to always carry two GPS units and a paper map. Has anyone else had a piece of tech fail at the worst possible moment on a dig or survey?
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foster.jordan14d ago
Man I feel your pain so bad. That GPS dying right as you hit save is some cruel timing, like the universe just decided to test you. I had something similar happen on a site in the Cotswolds a couple years back. My handheld GPS was working fine all morning, then I set it down on a wet patch of grass to take a photo of a feature and the screen just went black. No warning, no low battery beep, nothing. Spent the rest of the day drawing crude sketches on graph paper and pacing off distances from a single oak tree. Now I keep a backup GPS in my bag with fresh batteries and a little waterproof notepad shoved in my coat pocket at all times. Also started writing down grid references in pencil on my arm as soon as I find anything good, sounds stupid but it works. That triangulation from fence lines method you used is honestly a lifesaver, even if it makes you look like a crazy person stomping around a field.
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