Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1984 - 21

. . .The use of computers in archaeology is not new. Early on, archaeologists recognized the benefits of
computers in analyzing the massive
amounts of information that are
collected while excavating an archaeological site. By far, the mainframe
computer (see "Words to Remember"
for all terms) has been the most
commonly used computer in archaeology, employed primarily in the
analysis of site and artifact data.
Archaeologists have been limited
to using computers under conditions that can support the electrical
and operating requirements of the
equipment. For all practical purposes
the mainframe computer is tethered
by its electrical and data transmission lines. This, of course, precludes its use in most field settings
and keeps it out of the dirt, away
from the location where the artifacts
are actually recovered. Now, thanks
to recent innovations in microelectronics, single-chip or microprocessor-based computers, known as
microcomputers, that are appropriate for field archaeology and related
disciplines are available.
A grant from the National Science Foundation in 1979 enabled
Pima Community College in Hicson
to continue its ongoing interest in
microcomputer applications to
field archaeology. This grant funded
the acquisition of a microcomputer
and the necessary equipment- a
field vehicle, power supply and communications equipment- to support
its operation in the field. Since
then, microcomputer use has evolved
from an isolated experiment to a
system that enhances both educational and scholarly operations of
the college's archaeology program.
Currently, prototype versions of
the software and the hardware are
being used by Pima Community
College at the Rooney Ranch site,
northwest of Tbcson.
Microcomputers were introduced at Rooney Ranch gradually
during the past three years through
software and hardware experimentation. The initial objective was to
use the equipment to assist in teaching the field archaeology classes
offered by the college. Additional applications in other aspects of field
archaeology, including proton-magnetometer surveys, mapping, excavation, and related activities arose
as spin-offs from this first venture.

A he microcomputer operations
at Rooney Ranch are grouped into
four categories: data collection
in the field, data integration and
processing, database development,
and computer-aided instruction.
An advanced programmable calculator, in our case the HP-41CV manufactured by the Hewlett-Packard
Company, headquartered in Palo
Alto, California, is used to record
the initial raw data in the field. A personal computer, Hewlett-Packard's
HP-85A, is then used in the field to
receive the data collected by the
programmable calculators and to execute utility programs and generate field forms. At the archaeology
center, another personal computer,
the HP-87XM, is used to analyze the
artifact database and produce an
inventory of artifacts.
In a field setting such as Rooney
Ranch, several concerns become
important when considering a microcomputer system. The equipment's
durability and reliability and the
availability of repair are crucial.
When the field computer system was
first designed at Pima Community
College in 1978, the selection of hardware was limited and portable microcomputers were not yet available.
The staff of Pima Community College's
archaeology center have found microcomputers effective not only in the field
but in the laboratory and office as well.

As a result, a component systema separate monitor, central processing unit (CPU), keyboard, and
mass storage device- was developed.
Selecting any microcomputer involves several considerations. After
determining its intended use, one
should assess the kinds of programs
that are available for the various
models of microcomputers; some
software producers prefer particular
hardware manufacturers. When
the necessary programs are not commercially available, it is sometimes
necessary to write your own. If custom-designed programs have to
be developed, finding programmers
with expertise on a specific microcomputer is also an important consideration. For the most part, the
archaeology staff at Pima College
uses commercially available software, writing some programs in
order to link existing packages such
as cartography and surveying
programs.
Finally, when selecting the microcomputer itself, the availability of
add-on or peripheral devices such as
printers, plotters and disc drives
and their ease of use, installation and
compatibility must be investigated.
In early 1980 Hewlett-Packard released the HP-85A microcomputer.
This microcomputer, a 20-pound unit
that also includes a thermal printer,
anticipated most of our design requirements for a field computer. Perhaps most importantly, it requires
only 40 watts of power for operation
and utilizes a tape drive for mass
storage.
Although disc drives are preferred for general applications, in the
often harsh conditions of the field
a tape mass storage device proves
more reliable. After four years of
use, no data have been lost from a
failure of either hardware or tape
drive. As we expanded our use of microcomputers in the field, we have
continued to use Hewlett-Packard
hardware. Although other products are now on the market, staying
with a single hardware manufacturer has minimized compatibility
problems, expedited service, simplified software development, and
consequently freed more time to
be spent on archaeological concerns.
The microcomputer is operated
in the field with power from an
800-watt motor generator and two
large 12-volt storage batteries
1984
July/August

Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1984

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