Field Investigation

Field Investigation & On-Site Research

Not everything's in a database. Sometimes the only way to answer a question is to show up—dusty manor attics, municipal archives that still use card catalogs, archaeological sites where the real story's in the dirt. When the desk work runs out, I pack a bag.

What I Do in the Field

• Site Surveys: On-location assessment of historical sites, ruins, and potential artifact locations
• Estate Investigations: Cataloging and evaluating collections in private homes, attics, and storage facilities
• Archive Deep Dives: In-person research at local historical societies, libraries, and municipal records
• Recovery Operations: Coordinating ethical recovery of artifacts from agreed-upon locations
• Documentation: Photography, mapping, and detailed note-taking for origins records
• Local Interviews: Speaking with community members, historians, and descendants who hold oral histories

How I Approach Fieldwork

Every site's different, but the method stays the same:

• Do the homework first. Maps, records, local contacts—know what you're walking into.
• Work with locals. Landowners, historians, heritage officers. They know things you don't.
• Document everything. Photos, GPS coords, measurements. Memory's unreliable.
• Respect the context. Ripping something out of the ground ruins the story.
• Don't get killed. Proper gear, permits, risk assessment. Heroics are for movies.

Where This Work Takes Me

Recent fieldwork has included:

• Three days in Scottish highlands tracking down a ceremonial blade
• Manor house outside Prague with two centuries of unsorted family archives
• Abandoned Cold War bunker with military equipment no one cataloged
• Estate sale in Yorkshire—needed to evaluate 200+ items in six hours
• Small-town archive in Italy where nothing's been digitized and no one speaks English
• Coastal dive site for maritime recovery (with proper permits and a licensed team)

Equipment & Expertise

Field investigations require specialized tools and knowledge:

• Metal detection and ground-penetrating radar (when appropriate)
• Photography and photogrammetry equipment
• GPS mapping and documentation tools
• Basic conservation supplies for fragile discoveries
• Knowledge of local regulations and permit requirements

When You Need Field Investigation

• You've inherited a property with potential historical significance
• Historical records suggest artifacts in a specific location
• You need on-site evaluation of a collection or estate
• An origins gap requires physical investigation
• You're planning an ethical recovery operation
• Local archives need to be searched in person