Destructive, slow, expensive (in terms of cost/m²).

Most sites cannot be completely excavated. Focus is on a few square meters amounting to pin-pricks in a larger landscape.

Provides detailed data at discrete locations in three dimensions, but focus is largely on portable artifacts. Difficult to deduce the nature of larger architectural constructions, and the spaces between them, with limited exposures.

Does little to describe overall site conditions and content. Difficult to determine the overall spatial organization of a site, its layout, and relatonships between various architectural and other features.

Locating significant buried cultural features through excavation is generally a hit-and-miss, fortuitous venture.

Non-intrusive, remote, non-destructive.

Much less expensive than excavation (in terms of cost/m²).

Rapid data collection.

The locations of significant buried cultural features can be pin-pointed and precisely mapped.

Well-suited for detecting and mapping large architectural constructions or smaller features.

Can sometimes provide 100% coverage of an archaeological site or region. Ideally suited for mapping site content and conditions over broad areas allowing visualization of relationships between site components and features..

Can visualize physical changes in the soil not visible to a human excavator.

Can sometimes produce excellent detail in three dimensions.