Archaeological Prospection最新文献

Temperate river floodplains present a significant challenge for archaeologists, as cultural and palaeoenvironmental remains are often difficult to locate but can be exceptionally well preserved, especially where groundwater levels are high. In these alluvial environments, the deposition of thick, fine-grained sediments has potential to deeply bury rich archaeological archives that can be used to reconstruct past environments, but these deposits also render conventional forms of archaeological prospection largely ineffective. Consequently, subsurface mapping techniques have been developed to determine the three-dimensional spatial distribution of archaeological remains and their relationship to sediment architecture within alluvial environments. These can be generated using a combination of intrusive (boreholes, trial pits, etc.) and nonintrusive (e.g., geophysical survey) investigations augmented by other geological and topographical datasets. Although lidar and other passive remote sensing methods such as multispectral imagery and aerial photography have been utilized to investigate floodplain landscapes, the spaceborne capabilities of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) have yet to be explored within the context of geoarchaeological prospection. This contribution, therefore, examines the capacity of SAR to reconstruct and map landform assemblages within temperate river floodplains by analysing images in a 6-year time series of (COSMO-SkyMed) SAR data across two valleys in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. The results demonstrate that SAR can be used to record the spatial extent of recent flood events to outline surface topographic complexity and water table levels to achieve a detailed understanding of subsurface complexity across temperate river floodplains. This information can, in turn, be used to form a ‘model’ of the likely distribution and potential preservation conditions of archaeological resources. Although higher resolution topographic datasets (e.g., lidar, if available) may often be more effective, the integration of SAR within geoarchaeological investigations provides an alternative data source for the reconstruction of alluvial landscapes.

Monitoring of ancient buildings is an issue of great interest in view of a proper restoration. This paper describes the noninvasive monitoring of the Domus Nozze D'Argento in Pompeii. The Roman house, as occurred for many other buildings in Pompei, was buried in the ash from the 79 ad eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It was excavated in 1893, the year of the silver wedding anniversary of King Umberto and Queen Margherita of Savoy. This event gave the name to the Roman domus whose excavations uncovered a monumental architecture composed of an atrium and two gardens. The atrium is characterized by four tall Corinthian columns and an elegant exedra with fine decoration. Of the two gardens, one, the larger, includes a central pool and a triclinium, and the other one is composed of a bathhouse, open-air swimming pool and a living room embellished by a mosaic floor and wall paintings. Over time, the weathering and the presence of heavy and rigid concrete structures have caused some static problems to be addressed by restorations respectful of the mechanical behaviour of the original load-bearing framework. To collect data useful for structural diagnosis, the geophysical investigation was undertaken based on the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR). The results allowed to evidence the conservation state of the investigated walls and columns using the high frequency antenna (2 GHz) and the identification of buried pipes using the 600-MHz antenna data.

This study proposes a procedure to improve the interpretation of data from the Frequency Domain ElectroMagnetic method (FDEM), a geophysical technique with high benefit–cost ratios in archaeology. This method enables the simultaneous analysis of electrical and magnetic properties of the investigated medium, providing data as in-phase and out-of-phase (quadrature) components of the electromagnetic field. Traditionally, FDEM produces individual maps for these components that are typically inspected and related to each other only visually. The proposed procedure is based on unsupervised machine learning that, by providing integrated maps of these two components, overcomes the limitations of visual inspection and streamlines the interpretative phase. The FDEM data acquired at the Torre Galli archaeological site in Calabria, Italy, were clustered using K-means, known for its effectiveness in partitioning densely distributed spatial data. The optimal number of clusters was determined through silhouette analysis. Once identified, the clusters were classified as either representative of the natural background or indicative of archaeological interest and mapped in real space. This analysis identified several areas with anomalous geophysical characteristics compared to the natural context, characterized by distinct ranges of EM property values, suggesting the presence of different archaeological targets, such as road, walls and iron/bronze tools, which are distributed heterogeneously in the subsoil. This classification facilitated the rapid delineation of areas with significant archaeological potential that may warrant further investigation, resulting in a reduction of both the study area size and the archaeological effort associated with excavation. A comparison of these areas with previous excavations and the results of a magnetic survey shows that the proposed procedure is promising in enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of the FDEM method for identifying areas of archaeological interest. The findings suggest a move towards automation in the interpretation process, which could improve cost-effectiveness and time optimization in geophysical and archaeological investigations.

Satellite remote sensing is used widely to monitor damage to archaeological sites in conflict areas, including in Syria. On-the-ground assessments have been fewer in number, and the degree to which remote sensing assessments reflect what is happening on the ground has not been extensively tested. Using data from 19 archaeological sites in northwest Syria, we present a case study comparing the strengths of satellite remote sensing and ground observation for assessing site condition. The temporal patterning of different types of damage is also compared to other studies and discussed in terms of a local understanding of political events.

This study examines the spatial and visual organisation of tombs in the post–Roman Berenike located in Egypt's Eastern Desert. Archaeological surveys, remote sensing, geophysical methods, excavations and GIS-based analyses are used for a comprehensive understanding of the spatial patterns and cultural significance behind the positions and layouts of 865 tumuli and 13 chamber tombs associated with the Blemmyes, an indigenous Eastern Desert people. The results indicate the existence of shared practices that shaped the sepulchral landscape of Berenike between the late fourth and fifth centuries CE, highlighting the deliberate placement of tombs in visually prominent locations, and a symbolic connection between the living community and their ancestors. This is argued to be an expression of establishing control over the town during a period when the Blemmyes transitioned from a nomadic to a more settled lifestyle and created state structures. The clustering of tombs at the site has been linked to the segmented nature of the local society. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of mortuary practices in the post–Roman period Eastern Desert and offer new perspectives on the social organisation of the Blemmyes. The results also provide a foundation for future comparative studies of sepulchral landscapes in northeast Africa, offering a spatial analysis model for other archaeological sites. This study offers a replicable spatial analysis model for archaeological sites globally.

This paper describes the application of three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in urban environments to detect wall foundations or similar structures. In this study, a specific measurement strategy based on optimized 3D measurement arrays with surface electrodes is proposed and tested. As this type of survey can be used for archaeological prospection, a special design was chosen to make the survey as non-invasive as possible. The 3D ERT measurement scheme therefore used layouts that placed electrode lines on each side of the wall. Using an optimization method based on the Jacobian matrix, only the optimal cross-line and in-line measurements were selected. The proposed scheme was tested using synthetic models and was also applied to the investigation of the foundations at two sites of the Byzantine walls of Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, near the Cassandrian Gate. Additional 2D ERTs were performed on each wall segment intersecting the wall perpendicularly to test the results of the 3D ERTs.

The presented results of the synthetic data support the effectiveness of the measurement scheme and at the same time provide important information about the maximum depth of investigation and about the influence of the shape of the structure, which must be considered as a priori information in the inversion process. The selected sections of the 3D inversion of the field data compare well with the respective 2D ERT results. Overall, the proposed 3D ERT measuring scheme has proven to be an effective non-destructive prospecting method.

At the Huacas de Moche (HdM), one of the most prominent archaeological sites in Trujillo, Peru, the needs of an expanding modern community are in direct conflict with the desire to preserve the wealth of archaeological information. The undetermined extent of the HdM site introduces disputes in land usage where potential archaeological features are destroyed in pursuit of cultivatable land. This work presents the results of an integrated archaeo-geophysical and remote sensing investigation, which demonstrates the successful implementation of near-surface geophysical instruments for the detection of archaeological features around prior HdM archaeological investigations. The goals of this study are to (1) evaluate the overall effectiveness of various geophysics and drone-based sensing techniques at the HdM site, (2) interpret initial results at two test areas with and without active archaeological excavations, and (3) provide informed recommendations for future geophysical surveys across the broader HdM archaeological site and potentially other sites in the region. The methods deployed for this study include ground penetrating radar (GPR), frequency-domain electromagnetics (FDEM), magnetics, and drone-based photogrammetry. The resulting integrated geophysical analysis successfully reveals a broad collection of subsurface structures including features corresponding to walls, floors, and burials throughout these feature-rich survey areas. Follow-up excavations in a portion of the test bed, referred to as “Platform Uhle,” provide ground-truth confirmation of the presence of many features interpreted from GPR data. The orthomosaic maps and digital elevation models from drone-based photogrammetry surveys enable the delineation of subtle near-surface features, including shallow depressions within the ancient urban centre, in areas that are difficult to identify through ground-based observation alone. Lastly, the investigation results reveal that each deployed geophysical and remote sensing technique performed well given site conditions, which informs future acquisition for other geographically related archaeological sites.