On Hedgehogs and Marvelous Minds. A New Technology for Point Data Collection?

The collection of 3D point data is a common bottleneck for archaeological excavations despite an increasing range of powerful spatial data
collection technologies. Total stations often require a dedicated operator, and they are optimal for excavation-level data collection over
relatively short line-of-site distances. Precision Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) require reliable communication with constellations of distant satellites and may not be accurate enough for all data recording contexts. A new category of spatial data collection
hardware, called Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS), or “indoor GPS,” has the potential to provide a more cost-effective and efficient
approach to the collection of point data during excavations by making 3D point data collection widely available and accessible.
Additionally, such systems may allow greater detail in digital field data recording by enabling the collection of shape data via continuous
recording. In this article, we present one such IPS system—the Marvelmind IPS—discuss its potential value and limitations, and provide a
case study of a field test of the system at the Chalcolithic (4600–3600 BC) site of Horvat Duvshan, Israel