5.  Plane table.  Excellent for some ground, where objects are visible from a distance:  otherwise it requires a marker put up at every point to be fixed.  Cumbrous to carry, much slower than 4.

6.  Box sextant, used as giving angular accuracy to any of the foregoing; most useful with taping, and in following.

7.  Sextant and three points.  The most rapid accurate method is to adopt three points visible all over the ground (as trees or chimneys) or set up three markers.  Find shape and size of this triangle.  Then at any point take two angles visible between the points, and this fixes position of observer.  A large site may have forty points fixed in two hours thus to about 1 in 1000.  For detail and plotting see Petrie, Methods and Aims in Archaeology.

8.  Theodolite.  For the most accurate work a theodolite is used, giving points to about 1 in 5000.  It is almost essential for any astronomical meridian or latitude.

None of these methods necessitate any helper, except 4 which needs two helpers.  The observation is from the point to be fixed in 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7; but it is to the point, needing signals or visible features on the points, in 5, 6, and 8, and for those methods a large stock of rods must be taken, and the whole ground gone over, before the work of observation; such methods take far more time than the others.  The able surveyor will know by instinct how to use all the inferior methods as supplements to the higher, whenever time demands and accuracy allows.

When first searching a site, note the direction of any wall to the horizon point, and so see if other walls are parallel.

In all cases a plumb line is wanted for alining foundations and scattered blocks.  Always carry six feet of thin string, and pick up the nearest suitable stone for a weight, up to three or four pounds in a wind.

 5.  Drawing and Copying.

Inscriptions.  If there is any chance of being interrupted by any claimant, or by crowds, always make a hand copy at once, as quickly as possible.  After a squeeze or photograph is taken, yet the hand copy is often of value to explain positions of squeeze slips or detail of photographs.

If there is no chance of interruption, then a carefully drawn copy full size should be made.  For this a dry squeeze is the ground work.  Lay a sheet of thin paper, such as thin wrapping or plain paper, on the stone, and press all the letters over with the fingers, so as to make a sharp bend; a break in the deep hollows does not matter.  Then, putting the paper on a drawing-board or sheet of millboard, cock it up so that the shadow of the squeeze is seen, and draw over the lines (starting at right base), referring to the stone whenever uncertain.  This is the only right way to copy hieroglyphics by hand.  Note that the edges are usually rather worn, and the drawn lines should be inside the squeeze lines.  If the stone is large, several lesser sheets are best.