01
Bid · plan · review
Recon
Build the project map, search available records, assess terrain and access, develop a bid report, prepare crew data, and review field returns on the Mac.
Recon featuresThe Ology archaeology suite
From first bid to the next field season.
Recon plans the work on the Mac. Ology on iPhone records the survey. Intelligence brings reviewed records and GIS into a reusable master. Together they give archaeologists a clear path from project scope to field evidence and office deliverables.
Three connected tools
Each tool has a job in the same project.
02
Survey · record
Ology on iPhone
Use offline maps and crew information to guide survey, capture tracks and features, attach photos, and complete guided archaeological recording.
Field app features03
Check · update · reuse
Intelligence
Import reviewed records and GIS, retain their sources, flag identity and location issues, and maintain the searchable master used by later projects.
Intelligence featuresProject lifecycle
A complete archaeology workflow.
The handoffs use project files that the team can check. The master library on the phone is a separate reference snapshot, refreshed when needed.
1
Scope and bid in ReconStart with the boundary and survey areas. Review imagery, terrain, historic maps, prior coverage, geology, vegetation, and available archaeological records. Recon's Project and bid report brings together survey effort, expected recording, risks, methods, and maps. In version 2.4.25 it recommends a crew plan, compares schedule and travel options, and includes lodging and per diem estimates. The figures are planning assumptions for professional review.
2
Plan and package the fieldworkRefine access and survey areas, inspect LiDAR and terrain views, organize reference layers, and prepare maps for offline use. Send a crew package from Recon to the iPhone. Intelligence can separately export an offline master library with searchable reference records and selected linked PDFs for authorized crew use.
3
Survey and record on iPhoneWalk planned lines, save GPS tracks and coverage, map points, lines and polygons, and attach photographs and attributes. Guided site recording supports DPR form workflows, artifact and feature inventories, measurements, photo logs, and field checks. Recorders review identifiers, location quality, and missing information before sending the project back.
4
Process the field return in ReconA complete field return carries geometry, forms, tracks, photographs, and project references to the office. Recon imports it for review, lets staff edit site forms and inspect returned GIS, and exports editable DPR Word drafts and mapping data. The office checks boundaries, coverage, attachments, and descriptions before issuing deliverables.
5
Update the master in IntelligenceImport approved records and GIS into the master. Intelligence keeps source history, associates records with resources and locations, flags uncertainty for review, and refreshes the portable master GIS. It can prepare an ArcGIS Pro package and a new phone reference library. The improved master is available to Recon on the next bid.
Recon 2.4.25
A bid report grounded in the landscape and the work.
Recon's current report combines the project setting with survey access, known resources, regional and local history, expected new-resource scenarios, recording effort, crew logistics, and a level-of-effort worksheet. Maps appear with the sections they explain. The recommended crew and automatic lodging search help a bidder see the schedule and travel implications of the scope.
Source availability varies by area. The team can adjust assumptions and confirm agency requirements, consultation steps, access, lodging, and rates before using the estimate.
What moves between tools
- Recon to iPhone: offline project and crew package
- Intelligence to iPhone: optional master reference snapshot
- iPhone to Recon: complete field return with forms and photos
- Recon or project files to Intelligence: reviewed records and GIS
- Intelligence to future projects: refreshed searchable master
Professional review and confidentiality
Evidence stays with the authorized project team.
Planning estimates and sensitivity views guide decisions; they do not identify sites or replace field verification. Draft DPRs and imported locations need qualified review. This public website describes the workflow only. It contains no project names, site records, or confidential archaeological locations.