Geophysical survey in archaeological context: A review from Cyprus

Abstract

Cyprus, the third largest Mediterranean island, is located at an exceptional crossroad in the eastern Mediterranean, where cultures from the Middle East, Africa and Europe have interacted for more than 10 000 years. The aim of this paper is to present an exhaustive review of the past archaeological geophysical surveys on the island. The result of our research indicates that to date, more than 30 archaeological sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (ca. 10 000 BC) to the Venetian period (up to 1571 AD) have been investigated through noninvasive ground-based techniques. The investigations concern the mapping of the extent of ancient occupation (settlements and cemeteries), the study of the internal organization of settlements (domestic architecture, palaces and fortifications), the investigation of funerary structures (tombs) and the use of space within buildings. The methods implemented are multiple and often used in combination. Emphasis has been given to ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI) and magnetic and electrical resistance techniques. Most surveys have been targeted towards the production of maps representing the spatial distribution of the subsurface architectural residues, and sometimes these have been accompanied by soundings, tomographies, as well as 3D reconstructions of the ancient structures. Very few sites have been subjected to the measurements of the chemical or magnetic properties of the soils in relation to the results of geophysical prospection. Further discussion concerns (i) the targets of the archaeo-geophysical surveys in Cyprus, (ii) the limitations of the application of the specific techniques in relation to the Cypriot archaeological and geological context, (iii) the geophysical signatures of archaeological remains and (iv) the metadata accompanying the geophysical results.