Prospection systématique par sondages à la pelle mécanique : limites liées à la probabilité de découverte de sites archéologiques.
Éric Marmet, Christine Best, Alain Tabbagh · Revue d Archéométrie · 2002
Systematic prospection using shovel and with a regular gridding has become common France since 1990's. The evaluation of its limits require that a method of probability calculation of archaeological site (equivalent with a disc) discovery must be defined and that a simulation of results obtained on several cases with surface entirely pickled area must be done. After a presentation of probability calculation, we showed results of a simulated shovel systematic prospection on several areas of the A89 highway (in Correze, France). If the calculation is possible, in the case of a efficient critical size, show that inhomogeneitiy in the spacial distribution of archaeological material and structures and in geology and topography is responsible of the bad theoritical results.