Detailed Topography and Surface Survey . What is the point ? Tanagra City Survey 2000

Topographical surveys and the creation of digital elevation models have become quite common in the archaeological projects. In the excavations they are used as a frame to locate the excavated area in a wider context. On the other hand, in artifact surface surveys, detailed topographical surveys produce a base layer over which the results of the collection can be lain. The paper aims to illustrate the topographical survey and the mapping of the architectural features visible on the surface carried out at the ancient city of Tanagra in Boeotia, Central Greece, as a part of a wider city survey project. The methodology used will be illustrated and examined, and the results will be analyzed to evaluate their effectiveness for the final goals of the artifact surface survey project. Technical aspects will be illustrated and discussed together with the validity of the methods