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Since the industrial revolution, there has been an acceleration of transformations in the landscape due to the development and rapid increase in population. These transformations are associated with the expansion of new urban centres, access roads and other infrastructure, industrial centres, extensive cultivated areas, etc. Since cultural heritage is relevant to contemporary societies, be it the landscape or the material traces of the presence of different human cultures in the territory, its preservation or safeguarding by the scientific record becomes imperative. This is because the elements that make up cultural heritage represent the common history of mankind, as well as the legacy of the generations who lived before us.

Taking these aspects into account, the rigorous registration of Heritage is fundamental for

• • Territorial and heritage planning and management
  • Environmental impact studies
  • Rigorous planning, consistent project management and uncertainty reduction
  • Cultural Heritage management: deciding what should be preserved or valued

Legislation therefore requires rigorous prior characterization of heritage elements in project areas and makes promoters responsible, thus impacting:

• • Costs and deadlines
  • Risk management: social responsibility, public image

However, inventory information is scarce, incomplete or with errors, even when collected by project.

Facts	Outcome	Consequence
Unreliable archaeological survey processes Unreliable survey information	Unreliable survey information	Wrong decisions
Difficulty of access to the sites makes the survey economically unfeasible		High financial costs
		Waste of resources
Time-consuming instituted practices	Disjointed processes	Higher cost
Labour-intensive		Less precision
Fear of innovation		Economical unfeasibility