Archéologie urbaine et archéologie numérique

Abstract

In France, the number of preventive archaeology sites has grown considerably since the 1980s. At the same time, the use of digital devices has multiplied in the context of the development of micro-computing, leading to its progressive extension in the scientific practices of researchers. Opening new perspectives for the treatment of excavation documentation, digital devices have led archaeologists to acquire new skills, for which self-learning has often been the rule. Changes have occurred in work practices and in the ways in which skills are transferred. The examination of a few reports of preventive excavations in complex stratified urban environments over the last four decades allows a contribution to the debate. The effects of digital technology on practices in this type of archaeological context are very significant. If the benefits are undeniable, difficulties also appear in the implementation of certain systems when digital technology is generalized without a solid methodological foundation or prior problematic. This process can also introduce risks of weakening work collectives, notably through the distribution of activities and tasks in the field and in the offices. It is all the more inviting for exercises in reflexivity and for the development of epistemological research, which is still rare to date.

Keywords

• urban archaeology
• digital archaeology
• micro-computing
• digital skills
• epistemology