Site survey changed how I read old pottery maps

I spent years thinking those published pottery distribution maps from the 1980s were reliable. Then last spring I volunteered on a dig near Cirencester, and we found a Roman kiln site that was supposedly 'empty' according to the official survey from 1987. The original surveyor had walked the field in late November after heavy rain, so he missed the raised ground that showed up clearly in July. Our team used a simple Google Earth image and spotted the outline within an hour. Now I check the season and weather conditions listed in the methodology before I trust any map. It feels obvious now, but I wish someone had told me this ten years ago. Has anyone else found big mistakes in older survey data because of when they walked the land?

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