Rewriting Archaeological Narratives: Archaeology of Archaeology through 3D Site Topography Recording

The current ubiquitous use of 3D recording technologies in archaeological fieldwork, for a large part due to the application of budget-friendly (drone) sensors and the availability of many low-cost image-based 3D modelling software packages, has exponentially increased the amount of 3D data of archaeological sites and landscapes. Various applications have advanced far beyond the experimental phase, such as the deployment of 3D surface recording for excavation interpretation, as a complementary data layer for prospection and as the basis for visualisation/presentation. Of particular attention here is the degree to which drone 3D recording can further advance the understanding of archaeological site topography. In this paper, current developments in the field of 3D recording will be discussed in the context of the ‘Archaeology of Archaeology’ approach, which is being developed at the University of Amsterdam. The paper is the result of a Round Table discussion at the CAA conference on April 5, 2023, in Amsterdam.