Innocentive Challenge ($15,000)

[bklein]

I don't know if any of you guys monitor Innocentive.com. This is a site that posts challenges to solve various things. Payouts can get pretty good. Unfortunately I haven't won any of them yet. Last week though they came out with one dealing with detecting. They want a way to detect artifacts and fossils before running through the area with ground scrapers and tractors for development. Payout $15K! Is it feasible to use some form of metal detector design but focus more on ground variations than ferrous/non-ferrous/conductive targeting? Any other ideas? Here is the abstract of the challenge:

"Enel Green Power (EGP) is looking for non-destructive techniques to automatically detect small surfaced or partially buried archaeological finds (e.g. potsherds, lithic tools, bones, etc.) scattered in large areas, in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of archaeological surveys, carried out during the preliminary phases of construction projects, to preserve the historical and cultural heritage."

[dbanner]

Haven't they got enough tools and bones from prehistory, they need more?

I smell a shakedown in the making. There's nothing like holding up a major project on the basis of so called "historical cultural legacy".

[ivconic]

There are always huge funds for things that are close to impossible to design.
This reminds me on truffle detector demand!

[dbanner]

Edited

[profesor]

I don't know if any of you guys monitor Innocentive.com. This is a site that posts challenges to solve various things. Payouts can get pretty good. Unfortunately I haven't won any of them yet. Last week though they came out with one dealing with detecting. They want a way to detect artifacts and fossils before running through the area with ground scrapers and tractors for development. Payout $15K! Is it feasible to use some form of metal detector design but focus more on ground variations than ferrous/non-ferrous/conductive targeting? Any other ideas? Here is the abstract of the challenge:

"Enel Green Power (EGP) is looking for non-destructive techniques to automatically detect small surfaced or partially buried archaeological finds (e.g. potsherds, lithic tools, bones, etc.) scattered in large areas, in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of archaeological surveys, carried out during the preliminary phases of construction projects, to preserve the historical and cultural heritage."

For pottery finds; Let them use a BFO system detector.
I have tried.

[bklein]

Haven't they got enough tools and bones from prehistory, they need more?

I smell a shakedown in the making. There's nothing like holding up a major project on the basis of so called "historical cultural legacy".

Well, what happens here is they find something cool, it gets on the news, then it gets put away in some storage area so the public never sees it again. So finding new old stuff is the only way new generations learn it is or was all around us.

[dbanner]

Well, what happens here is they find something cool, it gets on the news, then it gets put away in some storage area so the public never sees it again. So finding new old stuff is the only way new generations learn it is or was all around us.

I am not averse to preserving historical sites and cultural legacies.But I recall one time in my country when there was massive renovation works on Parliment building. During excavation works it was discovered a burial grave of native people's from many centuries ago. Sufficed to say, the project got delayed by fives years, and cost overrun of a billion dollars, just to do science research and preservation of a few skeletons and some other funery items. They even brought in the chief of the tribe for prayers and to bless the site.It was used as a milching cow to steal millions, all at taxpayers expenses.This is what can happen in the third world. So I'm always suspicious of such thing.Laws governing the preservation of cultural heritage sights are often used as grounds for corruption and extortion of public monies.

[Koala]

if you could photograph into the ground a guess software could pick up the sharp edges of pottery over the more rounded stones

I doubt GPR will ever have enough resolution though

[ivconic]

There is no better tool than magnetometer for locating ancient pottery in soil.
For bones and other stuff mentioned; i can't tell.

[Koala]

if you could photograph into the ground a guess software could pick up the sharp edges of pottery over the more rounded stones

I doubt GPR will ever have enough resolution though

you don't have to see into the ground. Harrow the ground up. Fly a drone with picture ID.

[Koala]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...05440319301001

Quick search and its already been tried

[Gwil]

If I understand this article correctly it is only concerned with identifying items lying on the surface, not buried.

[ivconic]

If I understand this article correctly it is only concerned with identifying items lying on the surface, not buried.

I stand corrected than.
I guess some kind of chromatography can be the method to recognize such material from distantly taken high res photos.
This suddenly "clicks" me and returns back some memory!
Once upon a time... back in 1993. i was on Creta island, working as professional fisherman, catching sharks and swordfish.
So one day we had "perfect storm" appeared out of nowhere.
In a rush to save lives we run out to next nearest place to shelter.
It was Gramvousa, small uninhabited island.
Night is coming, we stopped there in a safe place.
I noticed some weird and scary ... ghostly undefined light covering very long sandy beach!
It was unreal.
I ask captain what is all about. He told me "it is light from the bones" ... !???
Later on talking more on that; i learned that approx 30 000 soldiers killed and lying there in the sand. Their bones.
It was the great battle of Creta, during WWII. When nazi army leaving Africa and Greek partisans along with western allies waited them there along those coasts.
So 30 000 soldiers died there, later never buried. Bones stayed in a sand. Today "emitting" some mum ghostly light at night.
It is rare phenomena, according the captain words, happens only at some nights in summer, when certain conditions are fulfilled.
I assume it is from phosphorus from bones.
It "clicks"... right? The method...

[ivconic]

Wow!!!
They made touristic destination from it today!!!
Those bunches of tourist dorks are using that beach for fun and joy today!
They stepping, walking any lying over the 30 000 died people bones without having a slightest clue!
Yes that's the beach, with a shipwreck left there as monument: