Recceology

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Recceology (ancient Latin: recognoscere, and later French: reconnaitre = recognise and ancient Latin logos = word) is the archaeological slang for a group of non-invasive studies, such as topographical evaluation, surface examination, aerial observation and environmental measurements.

Recceology is conducted both in a technical fashion and in a non-technical fashion. Principally applied to battlefield archaeology, the technical form is based on surface finds of artefacts and spalls from impact – as well as tracks and matching of photographic and other paper evidence. The non-technical form is opinion-driven; assessing where strategic points are based on theory and experience of the military behaviours during the period of history in question.

Recceology is a practice generally employed to avoid random invasive sampling. The latter has low success rates in military archaeology and it is accepted by many that random sampling can cause unnecessary damage.

Related disciplines are military archaeology, aerial photography, and magnetometry or resistivity testing.

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