Geophysical Prospection Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Monografies d'Ullastret 3, Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, Ullastret, 2017

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- Geophysics, Geomatics, Archaeological Geophysics, Applied Geophysics

In the summer of 2006 geoarchaeological fieldwork was conducted in the valley north of the ancient Roman city of Nikopolis (Epirus, Greece). Different geomorphological and geophysical techniques were used to determine the appearance of the landscape around the city in Roman times. A number of geomorphological techniques were used: first of all, detailed analysis of different land forms apparent at the surface and hand augering of these land forms. The sediments taken from the cores were analysed for geological composition and anthropological indicators. A selected number of samples were taken for grain size and thermogravimetric analyses. Furthermore, geophysical prospection (magnetometric and resistivity surveys) was performed in some key areas. The geomorphological study has revealed that the valley is bound by two faults, one to the south and a large one to the north. From the northern fault two alluvial fans enter the valley. Furthermore, the valley is subject to a complex combination of alluvial, colluvial and marine sedimentation, erosion, tectonic uplift, sea level variations and anthropogenic activities. The geophysical data, finally, show a Roman landscape that had a symbolic layout. A Roman road connecting the monument of Augustus with the main city gate, an aqueduct parallel to it, a bath house along the road and a theater and stadium nearby showed that Nikopolis was a city of great importance.

Floodplain wetlands are complex systems influenced by many natural and anthropo-genic operators. Due to the influence of high and varying groundwater table and high organic contents, geophysical prospection in wetland floodplains quickly reaches the limits of its effectiveness. At the Early Medieval canal Fossa Carolina in southwest Germany, a study design employing magnetometry, drillings, sampling, and in situ rock magnetic measurements was used for environmental magnetic interpretation of magnetic anomalies in magnetograms and sediment layers. This approach offers reliable archaeological interpretation of magnetic anomalies and magnetic properties under the site specific sedimentological conditions of a floodplain wetland. It was also found that man-made magnetic anomalies in the floodplain are due to the gene-sis of different remanent magnetizations-specifically, greigite (Fe 3 S 4) can cause distinct magnetic anomalies in floodplains that can be recognized readily in surface ma...

- by Joachim Härtling
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- Archaeology, Geophysics, Archaeological Prospection, Geophysical Prospection

Between 1984 and 1991, the antique site of Brion, localized in the Médoc (Gironde, France), was the site of a series of excavations and geophysical research. In 1990 and 1991, electrical surveys conducted on over 7 ha have identified dozens of buildings and some street sections. Magnetic surveys carried out in 2011 have complemented our knowledge of this small town. This second method has not only substantially increased our ability to detect remains which are very weakly buried, but also helped us to locate structures of combustion (furnaces, ovens) and concentrations of magnetic materials (burnt clay). The very good results of these studies underline the complementarity of the two geophysical methods implemented on this site. Combined with archaeological data, they allow us at the end to discuss surroundings and limits of the town, street network and town planning scheme.

- by Pierre GARMY
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- Geophysical Prospection, Small Town, Roman Age, Magnetic Surveys

Detection of unmarked burials with geophysical methods of survey have had mixed results in the past, both in the archaeological domain as in the forensic science domain. Each method has shown several limitations on their own. The application of multiple methods on a single site has been investigated on three different sites in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interpreting multiple datasets against each other to locate unmarked burials. The sites selected offered relatively known locations for possible burials, allowing for easier verification whether a possible burial was detected. The interpretation of these multiple datasets has shown that it provides a higher degree of confidence when interpreting possible burial locations, as opposed to relying on a single interpretation.

- by Piotr Wroniecki
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- Geophysics, Aerial Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Geophysical Prospection

The article presents the results of magnetic and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) research carried out in Old Dongola in northern Sudan in 2018 and 2020, within the framework of a project designed to investigate the transition from... more

- by Artur Obluski and +2
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- Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Nubia, Archaeological Prospection

This work presents an analysis of the physical principles of the electromagnetic methods in Geophysics, based on the behavior of the electromagnetic field in matter. The mathematical computation is done for the solution of a model which approximates the electromagnetic behavior of the subsurface, making a system of parallel, homogeneous and isotropic layers. The direct problem in geoelectrics is solved, creating an algorithm for this purpose and comparing its results with those of specialized interpretation software: IPI2win.
As part of the project ‘Proyecto Borde Norte de Bogotá’, it is participated in the field work, process, and geophysical interpretation, providing results that contribute to support the declaration of the Northern Regional Forest Reserve (RFRN in Spanish).

- by Ayla Lang and +1
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- Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Roman Settlement, Archaeological Prospection
- by Ivan Vajsov and +2
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology)
- by Javier Martinez
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- Geophysics, Electromagnetics, Geophysical Prospection
- by Ivan Vajsov and +1
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology)
- by Ivan Vajsov and +1
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology)

The increasing demand of water has brought tremendous pressure on groundwater resources in the regions were groundwater is prime source of water. The objective of this study was to explore groundwater potential zones in Maheshwaram watershed of Andhra Pradesh, India with semi-arid climatic condition and hard rock granitic terrain. GIS-based modelling was used to integrate remote sensing and geophysical data to delineate groundwater potential zones. In the present study, Indian Remote Sensing RESOURCESAT-1, Linear Imaging Self-Scanner (LISS-4) digital data, ASTER digital elevation model and vertical electrical sounding data along with other data sets were analysed to generate various thematic maps, viz., geomorphology, land use/land cover, geology, lineament density, soil, drainage density, slope, aquifer resistivity and aquifer thickness. Based on this integrated approach, the groundwater availability in the watershed was classified into four categories, viz. very good, good, moderate and poor. The results reveal that the modelling assessment method proposed in this study is an effective tool for deciphering groundwater potential zones for proper planning and management of groundwater resources in diverse hydrogeological terrains.

In Corinaldo, located in the northern Marche region, an integrated research brought to light a high-status tomb dating back to the 7th century BC, which provides remarkable data on a wide range of aspects of the Picenian culture in this central part of Italy. The discovery is the result of a combination of aerial survey, geophysical prospection and targeted archaeological excavation, undertaken by the multidisciplinary ArcheoNevola project, based in the University of Bologna, and carried out in advance of a planned development program. The cooperation with the Marche Archaeological Superintendency and the Municipality of Corinaldo allowed to start with a preliminary impact assessment, within the designed construction of a new Sport complex in the Nevola River Valley. The excavations carried out in 2017 and 2018, here presented, involving small-scale trials followed by open-area inves-tigation, quickly confirmed and supplemented the results of the non-invasive survey, revealing the remains of an extraordinary funerary deposit related to a princely leader within the early Iron Age society of the region. As the first such monument identified and excavated in northern Marche this has provided an extraordinary opportunity to investigate a type-site of the Picenian culture, up till now poorly documented and little understood despite its undoubted importance in the pre-Roman development of the area. The success of the operation lies both in the value of the finding, which belongs to a rare class of elitarian funerary monument, and in discovery methodology, as part of development-led archaeology. At this stage of the research, still in progress, questions remain about several aspects of the Picene tomb and the ancient funerary landscape, but some preliminary thoughts can be advanced about the amount of data collected, which will be progressively refined when the investigation goes further.

- by FOLD&R the Journal of Fasti Online and +3
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- Archaeology, Archeologia, Early Iron Age, Geophysical Prospection
- by Aneta Cedro and +2
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- Survey (Archaeological Method & Theory), Nubia, Archaeological Geophysics, Archaeological Fieldwork

JEANNE Laurence, DUCLOS Caroline et PAEZ-REZENDE Laurent, "Valognes (Manche - 50), Alauna - l'agglomération antique d'Alleaume", volume 1 : résultats, Document final de synthèse, Caen, Rapport de prospection thématique du Service Régional... more

- by Alexis Douchin and +2
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- Archaeological Prospection, Geophysical Prospection, Archéologie, GEOPHYSIQUE
- by Florian Becker and +1
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- Archaeological Prospection, Geophysical Prospection, Magnetic Prospection
- by Deborah Priß
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- Archaeology, Geophysics, Geoarchaeology, Medieval Archaeology
- by Florian Eibl
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Phenomenology

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bāt al-Khutm and al-Ayn in Oman (fig. 1) represents one of the most complete and well preserved ensembles of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium BC with the two main periods: Hafi t (ca. 3100–2700 BC) and Umm an-Nar (ca. 2700–2000 BC). Started with the Hafi t period settled agricultural villages occurred in this arid climate with farming, irrigation systems, metallurgy, ceramics and necropolises (tombs and towers). Exploring the site of Bāt by excavations commenced in the 1970s (e.g. Frifelt 1976, 57–76). In 2004, a German team started the “Bāt Research
& Restoration Project” in Bāt and al-Ayn (Böhme et al. 2008). Current studies on the Early Bronze Age archaeology have a broad regional focus in which the relationships between sites and landscape regions are of key interest (projects to name like one by C. P. Thornton & C. Schmidt (Thornton, Schmidt 2015, 155–163) or by C. Schmidt (Schmidt, Döpper 2017b, 121–122). The applied methods for landscape archaeology concentrate mainly on analyzing satellite images, field work, limited size excavations (e. g. for tombs, house structures), and
use of GIS technologies. A recent geoarchaeological study of the Wadi Sharsah valley in Bāt combined the work of geomorphologists, micromorphologists, archaeobotanists and malacologists (Desruelles et al. 2016, 52).
One rarely applied prospection method in Oman is caesium magnetometry in duo-sensor-confi guration, which is in particular suited for palaegeographic and geoarchaeological modelling. In our opinion this method could substantially contribute to solve archaeological questions and should be more consistently applied. This will be illustrated by two examples, the magnetometry from 2006 at Bāt and from 2017 at Al-Khashbah.

- by Jorg W E Fassbinder and +1
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- Remote Sensing, Archaeological Science, Archaeological Method & Theory, Archaeological GIS

The Eastern Town of Velia. Insights into the Development of the South-Eastern Terrace from the 3rd Century B.C. until the 3rd Century A.D.
The Eastern quarter represents a hitherto widely neglected quarter of the town of Velia. This paper presents the first results of a project conducted in the peripheral area of the large south-eastern terrace in the years 2015-2019. Starting with a campaign of geophysical prospection, followed by four campaigns of excavations, we obtained new insights into the urbanistic organization of the area and its chronological development from the 3rd century B.C. to the late antique period. A summary of the finds of African Sigillata provides new information regarding the presence of this ware in Velia and allows greater precision of the chronological data. Most surprising was the discovery of activities not only of working but also producing iron in the late Republican period; a first overview of the slags is presented.

- by Verena Gassner and +2
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- Archaeology of Southern Italy, Geophysical Prospection, Sigillata Africana, Iron Smelting
- by Ivan Vajsov and +2
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology)

This study is giving an overview of using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in coastal environments. Examples of selected GPR data from the North-Frisian Islands Sylt and Amrum are being presented. First, ground-penetrating radar data from the southern barrier island spit of Sylt are being offered. Secondly, a GPR profile of a foredune ridge was
chosen to point out the potential of the GPR method in coastal dune areas. Furthermore, GPR data of Saalian moraine core deposits from Sylt and Amrum are being illustrated to give an idea about typically reflection patterns produced by till deposits as well as limitations in using GPR at this special geological site. It is also the purpose of this paper to offer a few insights, examples and guidelines for using GPR in a similar coastal environment. Survey design and survey geometry are important components of a successful GPR survey. So, this paper includes some suggestions for optimising theses components to achieve good results for the following sedimentological interpretation. A main aspect of efficient GPR surveying in coastal environments is the choice of the antenna frequency. An example of an antenna testing survey is also being presented in this study.

The development of Neolithic lifeways represented fundamental shifts in social organization and human-environment relationships within local ecological settings. An understanding of this process in the Balkans peninsula has remained intriguing and challenging in the broader context of European prehistory. Evidence for Neolithization processes in the Balkans begins around the seventh millennium BC in the south-east at important tell sites such as Nea Nikomedia and Sesklo where rectangular house structures and other elements of the “Neolithic package” strongly resemble those of the Levant. The northern zone of the Balkans peninsula, however, presents a different situation, with small flat sites with intrusive later occupation making patterns of early Neolithization difficult to discern. This paper reports recent field research in Central Serbia (Šumadija region, Gruža River valley) where Early Neolithic occupation related to the Starčevo culture has been found at the newly identified site of Kneževac through systematic pedestrian survey, artifact spatial analysis, and near surface archaeological geophysics. The results of this research are discussed in the context of other Early Neolithic settlement evidence in the region, along with their implications for understanding early agricultural populations in Central Serbia.

- by Bryan Hanks and +3
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- Archaeological survey, Early Neolithic, Geophysical Prospection, Starčevo-Criş culture

Magnetometer prospection is now considered a standard method of archaeological prospection. Not seldom, however, the measurement results (magnetograms) of this quick and often efficient prospecting method are interpreted without required validation in the lab, which may lead to incorrect assessments of the magnetic field anomalies in archaeological and geoarchaeological contexts. This study seeks to address this problem and is dedicated to the aim of improving upon interpretations of magnetometer measurements and further developing processes that can be applied towards rapid and sufficient clarification of magnetic field anomalies. For this purpose, magnetometric and environmental magnetic measurements, combined with pedological and sedimentological parameters, are evaluated in several survey areas.
The survey areas and environmental archives in focus are the brown plaggen soils at the transition between the lower Weser Uplands and the Dümmer Geest Lowland, as well as the semi-terrestrial sediments of the Fossa Carolina at the transition between the Franconian Swabian Keuper-Lias Plains and the Franconian Jura.
The magnetometric prospecting is conducted using a vector gradiometer (Bartington Grad601 dual), deployed frequently on archaeological prospecting missions. Magnetic susceptibility is used as a geophysical indicator for the identification and initial characterization of magnetically conspicuous and magnetic field anomaly generating soil horizons and sedimentological layers reviewed in environmental archives. Based on the Curie temperature measurements and magnetic domain investigations, the environmental magnetic minerals and their particle sizes are characterized in magnetically conspicuous layers and horizons.
Findings from the combination of environmental magnetic measurements with soil characteristics of brown plaggen soils indicate that the ferrimagnetic PSD iron sulfide greigite detected in the plaggen layers must have been induced anthropogenically. Furthermore, there are indications that these greigites may have been modified and in some cases mobilized by seepage and groundwater. A comparison with greigites from literature shows that the plaggen soil PSD greigites are found in a magnetic domain in which no natural greigites have been previously measured. This magnetic state is put forth for discussion as an oxidation stage of the ferrimagnetic iron sulfide.
In the trench fills or paleochannels of the Fossa Carolina, authigenic SD greigites were discovered in layers exhibiting magnetic field anomalies, thus confirming the supposition by Stanjek et al. (1994) that greigites can be of significance for magnetometer prospecting in semi-terrestrial environments. By contrast, highly-heated, thermoremanent PSD titanomagnetites, causing magnetic field anomalies, were discovered in flanking accompanying structures of the Fossa Carolina. Their origin remains unresolved, yet a natural formation of these magnetic minerals on site is ruled out.
Considering the objective of this research, the methodical approach at the Fossa Carolina proved to be an especially efficient and relatively economical method for verified clarification of magnetic field anomalies in the magnetograms.

- by Andreas Stele
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- Geophysical Prospection, Magnetic Susceptibility, Environmental Magnetism, Greigite

This first volume in a new series about Belgian archaeological research in Italy brings all relevant data together about the newly discovered and systematically surveyed sites in the Potenza Valley Survey project (2000-2017). The well-illustrated book presents the wide array of new archaeological finds and topographic and chronological data about sites, assembled via systematic prospections by a team of Ghent University in a valley of central Adriatic Italy. The many spectacular survey data from a series of now abandoned ancient urban centres and protohistoric agglomerations, are combined here with non-invasive prospection results from sites found in their rural hinterlands. The analysis and documentation of all these discoveries, and of their relation with environmental change in the past, now provide a crucial understanding of an ideal section through the diversified central Italian landscape, linking the Apennine Mountains with the Adriatic coastal plain. In this way the survey project reveals a spectrum of settlement situations, ranging from a Roman colony on the coast and a series of pre-Roman Iron Age inland centres, to the smallest dwelling places of indigenous and immigrant communities living in this specific settlement chamber of the Mediterranean between the early Iron Age (circa 900 BC) and the end of Antiquity (circa AD 600). The intensive use of landscape survey archaeology and remote sensing approaches, of which this book is a reflection, has enabled the scholars involved in this team effort to study diachronic patterns of urban and rural habitation and land use with much greater precision than before, thus contributing to the "longue durée" landscape and settlement dynamics in this part of the ancient world.

- by Dimitri Van Limbergen and +2
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- Archaeology, Roman History, Landscape Archaeology, Archaeological geophysics (Archaeology)

Connu depuis les années 1960, le site rubané de plateau
de « Huesefeld-Plätz » (Aspelt, Hassel) a livré du mobilier
archéologique se distinguant des autres sites rubanés de la
région par l'abondance des herminettes, des armatures de
flèche et des fragments d'hématite, ainsi que par un ensemble
céramique stylistiquement plus ancien que la plupart de ceux
étudiés jusqu'à présent. C'est pourquoi une campagne de
prospection géomagnétique a été menée en 2012, suivie par
une première campagne de fouille en 2013. Les résultats ont
confirmé l'étendue de cette occupation de plateau dès les
phases anciennes du Rubané, avec une dizaine de plans de
maison. Un autre intérêt du site est d'ordre méthodologique,
car les fouilles ont mis en évidence une érosion importante de
cette partie du plateau, avec des traces résiduelles des plans de
maison qui étaient pourtant parfaitement lisibles au travers
des signaux rémanents du géomagnétisme terrestre.

- by François Valotteau
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- Neolithic, Geophysical Prospection, LBK Settlement, Luxembourg

This article reports on the current capabilities and future developments of TAIFU, a MATLAB Toolbox for Archaeological Image FUsion. After introducing the need for archaeological image fusion and the benefits it can bring for the interpretation of archaeological image data, the paper briefly explains some of the major fusion methods that are embedded in TAIFU. Afterwards, additional functionality such as metadata tracking and various pre- and post-processing steps are detailed. The paper concludes with a short roadmap of future TAIFU developments.

- by Petra Schneidhofer
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- Image Processing, Remote Sensing, Archaeological Prospection, Matlab
- by Evita Kalogiropoulou
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- Spatial Practices, Landscape Archaeology, Settlement Patterns, Neolithic
- by Wolfgang Neubauer and +1
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- Archaeological Geophysics, Geophysical Prospection, Carnuntum, Roman Archaeology

Das Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Archäologische Prospektion und Virtuelle Archäologie führte im Zuge des »ArchPro
Carnuntum«-Projekts eine geophysikalische Prospektion der archäologischen Landschaft von Carnuntum durch. Die Messdaten zeigen Anomalien im Westen der antiken Zivilstadt, die als römische fullonica interpretiert werden können. Der Messbefund und seine Interpretation werden im Kontext der Forschungen zu fullonicae in der römischen Welt und zur Textilwirtschaft vorgestellt.

- by Michael Teichmann and +1
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- Archaeology, Archaeological Prospection, Archaeology of Roman Pannonia, Fullonica
- by Cristina-Georgeta Alexandrescu
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- Pottery (Archaeology), Roman Law, Roman Army, Roman roads

The Laboratory of Geophysical, Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeoenvironment (GeoSat ReSeArch) of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH) conducted a geophysical survey at the Greek settlement of Elis in the Peloponnese during 9-13 November 2014. The purpose of the survey was to explore the urban characteristics and boundaries of the settlement beyond the agora and central region of the city. Since archaeological excavations have focused primarily on the core of the settlement, many uncertainties persist concerning the general layout of Elis. Geophysics was successful in identifying an orthogonal street system that extends well beyond the agora. This evidence complements a previous geophysical survey carried out in 2003 by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the GeoSat ReSeArch Lab of IMS-FORTH. Elis can now be counted as one of the few planned classical settlements in the Peloponnese that are known to archaeologists. In addition to the streets, geophysics also recovered evidence of buried architecture, possibly from domestic structures. Overall, the new data reveal much about the wider urban dynamics of Elis.

- by Jamieson Donati and +2
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- Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Geophysics, Landscape Archaeology

Possibilities of the resistance methods on example of the High and Late Middle Age monuments preserved in forested areas
The article brings information about use of the resistivity methods in relation to specific forested area and possibilities of introduction of this technique on various types of the archeological situations and sites. Application of geophysical methods on preserved features can bring crucial knowledge in character and use of preserved archaeological sites from the Middle Age up to the Modern period. Possibilities of this method and its further potential in research of the presented sites are summarized and discussed.

La publication des actes du colloque international Archéologie des espaces artisanaux. Fouiller et comprendre les gestes des potiers (Rennes, 27-28 novembre 2014) a pour objectif de réunir une série de contributions scientifiques portant sur les problématiques et les méthodologies de la fouille des espaces de production de le céramique. Elle s'inscrit en continuité des colloques organisés par le laboratoire LAHM (Université Rennes 2, UMR 6566) dans un cadre épistémologique abordant les méthodologies de la recherche archéologique : La céramique dans les contextes rituels. Fouiller et comprendre les gestes des Anciens (dir. M. Denti et M. Tuffreau-Libre, PUR 2013) et La céramique dans les espaces archéologiques « mixtes » autour de la Méditerranée antique (dir. M. Denti et C. Bellamy, PUR 2016). La compréhension des modes de production et de l'organisation des espaces de la production artisanale dans les sociétés antiques représente l'une des problématiques au coeur de la recherche archéologique actuelle. La nature particulièrement fragile de ce type de vestiges (fours, portions de fours, plans de piétinement et de travail, fosses d'extraction de l'argile, bassins de dépuration, rejets de cuisson, instruments lithiques et osseux) invite à nous interroger sur les méthodes à employer pour essayer de restituer les gestes, les intentions et le savoir-faire des potiers. La situation qui caractérise actuellement cet horizon de la recherche nous montre que des méthodes ponctuelles, des protocoles spécifiques, une logique « scientifique » propre au traitement de ces contextes et de ce type de mobi-lier, en réalité, n'existent pas. La question centrale a été donc celle de discuter et de comparer les manières à travers lesquelles nous abordons les opérations de fouille de ces contextes et, avant même, la manière à travers laquelle nous pensons les objets et les structures que nous y rencontrons. Ce colloque a voulu poser les bases d'une réflexion autour des méthodes propres aux investigations archéologiques actuellement menées sur les espaces de production de la céramique, en embrassant une chronologie allant de l'âge du Fer à la période romaine et un espace géographique comprenant la Méditerranée et l'Europe atlantique. Mario Denti, dans l'introduction, fait un état des problématiques sur le plan heuristique et méthodologique. Francine Blondé, dans les conclusions, trace les lignes du chemin parcouru et discute les perspectives de recherche qui s'offrent devant nous. M A M Hors-série n°9-2019 Publication de l'UMR 5140 du CNRS « Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes » Labex ARCHIMEDE-Programme IA

- by Mathilde VILLETTE and +1
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- Experimental Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Research Methodology, Pottery (Archaeology)
- by Juan Torrejón Valdelomar and +5
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- Archaeology, Geophysics, Remote Sensing, Virtual Archaeology
- by Jamieson Donati and +4
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- Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Geophysics, Hellenistic History