Archaeological Survey Supported by Mobile GIS: Low-Budget Strategies at Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

In recent years, digital technologies applied to archaeology have led to considerable changes in fieldwork. However, the use of mobile GIS for fieldwork has not been widespread, especially in countries where GIS is not yet entrenched within the field of archaeology. Over the last decade, the technological context associated with mobile GIS has changed. In this text, these changes are discussed based on a case study developed in Catamarca (Argentina), in which the possibilities of a more generalized use of mobile GIS—based on free, open, and available resources (software, data, devices)–are discussed. This article assesses the main problems faced and describes the basic steps taken to implement a field recording system based on mobile GIS.

Mobile GIS. Geographic information systems (GIS). Geospatial technologies. Free software. Smartphones. Fieldwork. Archaeological survey. Landscape archaeology. Andean archaeology. Mobile SIG. Sistemas de información geográfica (SIG). Tecnologías geoespaciales. Software libre. Teléfonos inteligentes. Trabajo de campo. Prospección arqueológica. Arqueología del paisaje. Arqueología andina.