Abstract A quiet but accelerating revolution has taken place in archaeology over the last several decades. Classical archaeological methods, including trenching with trowels and brushes, require an enormous expenditure of human energy. Individuals carrying out this work are often students or local day laborers, working under the supervision of trained professional archaeologists who direct the work around surface manifestations—if any—of ancient human cultural activity. Modern mineral exploration technology, principally of a geophysical character, is now being increasingly incorporated in archaeology to increase the effectiveness of field work. Despite the proven potential for vastly increasing efficiency, most archaeologists are yet unable to utilize geophysical methods in their work. The main reason is probably that geophysical equipment and contractors are relatively expensive and (with a few notable exceptions such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects) archaeology traditionally is a poorly funded profession. Funding for the work usually comes from small grants from academic institutions or from philanthropic contributions, and much of the work is still done on a volunteer or even a pay-forthe- privilege-of-working basis. A second reason for limited use of advanced technology is time. In the past, several large projects, such as the Tombigbee Waterway, Dolores Reservoir, and Black Mesa coal mining projects in the United States, have involved significant funding by the federal government (John Weymouth, oral communication, 1985). Often, despite large sources of funding, very little, if any, geophysical work (or even trenching) is done because the effort usually is constrained by a pressing need for a land-use decision.