What is a tablet in this context?

• A. A concrete marker with numbers etched onto the top, permanently marking elevation and horizontal position.
• B. A brass plate used for benchmarks.
• C. A wooden stake placed temporarily.
• D. A signboard at a survey checkpoint.

Answer: (A)

Tablets in surveying are durable concrete markers placed at a precise point, with the top surface etched to record the point’s elevation and horizontal coordinates. This makes them a permanent reference that surveyors can locate again long after other markers might have shifted or disappeared. The engraved data on top ties the mark to a known datum, enabling accurate re-establishment of the exact point for future measurements. Other options describe temporary stakes, informational signs, or metal benchmark plates, none of which provide the long‑lasting, fixed reference material that a tablet represents.