“Field data collection app” e ricognizioni archeologiche: Geopaparazzi

This paper aims to point out how field data collection applications can represent a good resource in archaeological surveys. As an alternative to the classic paper documentation, using a smartphone application saves time both during the survey (automatic geolocation, GPS tracking) and in the post-survey work (make easier data importation in computer software, reduce typo-errors and avoid transcription errors). The focus of this paper is Geopaparazzi, an open source application for android that allows collecting field data in a customised way and simply by using a smartphone; collected data are ready to be processed by computer software like Gis. Geopaparazzi 6.1.0 was tested in four archaeological survey campaigns, three in Versilia (Italy, Tuscany) and one in Lampedusa (Italy, Sicily). The two environments are profoundly different: Versilia is a mountain landscape, and Lampedusa is a small island. Moreover, also the data collected are of a different kind. These differences help to understand how versatile the application can be.