Found my grandad's field notes from a 1970s dig, and wow, methods have come a long way

Richard Jenkins · 2026-03-04T17:06:17.610803+00:00

He had these handwritten maps and sketches of pottery shards. Today, we'd use drones and GPS to plot everything digitally. It got me thinking how much easier it is to share finds now with online databases. Back then, his notes probably just sat in a drawer, but now anyone can access similar data instantly. Kinda makes you appreciate the progress, even if the old ways had charm.

robertanderson7mo ago

My dad's 1975 fishing log had coordinates scribbled in the margins. He'd just jot down spots where he caught big fish, no GPS or anything fancy. Now we have apps for that, but his handwritten notes have a certain MAGIC to them.

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lucasg427mo ago

Can your fancy drone smell old paper like @brookefox's grandpa's journals?

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brookefox7mo ago

Actually, scanning my grandpa's handwritten journals let me share them with the whole family online. It was a bit of a project, but now everyone can read his stories. You just can't replicate that smell of old paper with a screen, you know...

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