Ground penetrating radar survey in the Awwam Temple, Marib, Yemen

Case Studies in Archaeological Geophysics

The following case studies were selected from among hundreds of surveys performed by Archaeo-Physics staff members. Examples were selected to illustrate geophysical applications in a variety of contexts and issues in methodology and interpretation.

Featured case study: The Buried City, survey of a Plains Village period site in NW Texas. Interactive content includes testing results from 26 geophysical anomalies investigated by more than 450 Oakfield hand cores, 9 hand excavated units (ranging from 50 cm x 50 cm to 50 cm x 200 cm) and two large block excavations. (magnetic; resistance, GPR, excavation results; radiocarbon dates; soil magnetic mineral analysis)

• Mehaffey Site , magnetic survey results from a late Archaic Period site in western Iowa. Interactive content includes a detailed comparison of excavation results and geophysical imagery (magnetic; excavation results; soil magnetic mineral analysis)
• Oil and Gas Field Archaeology, geophysical investigations of low contrast archaeological features in west-central Wyoming. (GPR; resistance; magnetic)
• Historic Scots-Highlander Farmsteads, historic 19th century farmsteads and possible mid-18th century structures in North Carolina. Includes soil magnetism analysis of samples collected during systematic shovel testing of the site. (resistance; magnetic; soil magnetic mineral analysis)
• Mahram Bilqis , an ancient Sabaean temple located near Marib, in the Republic of Yemen (GPR; magnetic)
• Kanas Monument Site, historic Native American earth lodges in Kansas. Results will be used to guide excavations during the 2008 Kansas Archaeological Training Program field school (resistance; magnetic)
• TAS Field Program 2008 , geophysical results from three Middle Ceramic period settlements in NW Texas. Results will be used to guide excavations during the 2008 TAS field program (magnetic; resistance; EM conductivity)
• San Buenaventura Mission, Spanish colonial mission and Victorian features beneath a modern parking lot in Ventura, California. Features animated imaging of 3D radar tomography (GPR)
• Sharps Creek Council Circle, earthworks and other features at a proto-historic site in Kansas (magnetic)
• Songbird Rings, stone (tipi) ring and hearth features at a prehistoric site on the High Plains (magnetic)
• The Wyandotte County Cemetery, mapping unmarked graves at an historic cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas (magnetic; resistance)
• Silver Bluff, 18th century trading post and fort, South Carolina (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Aphrodisias, Greek/Roman urban center, Turkey (resistance)
• San Marcos Pueblo historic mission, New Mexico (magnetic; resistance)
• Garden Coulee 19th century Hidatsa village, North Dakota (magnetic; resistance)
• The Huckins Site prehistoric campsite, Wyoming (magnetic; resistance)
• Location of Human Burials (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Sample Density and Resolution Illustrated two case studies
• Falling Creek Ironworks early 17th century industrial site, Chesterfield County, Virginia (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Mission San Antonio de Padua historic mission, California (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Malodorous prehistoric campsite, Montana (magnetic)
• Magnetic "Pollution" of Archaeological sites (magnetic)
• Ellis Cemetery historic Euro-American cemetery, North Carolina (GPR)
• Krasnyi-Yar Copper Age Botai Culture settlement, Kazakhstan (magnetic; resistance)
• 30-30 Winchester prehistoric campsite, Wyoming (magnetic)
• Tell Ahmar (Til Barsib) Syria (magnetic; resistance)
• Fort Phil Kearny historic military site, Wyoming (magnetic)
• Hidatsa Earth Lodges North Dakota (resistance)
• Odessa-Yates late prehistoric village, Oklahoma (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Kerkenes Dag Iron Age site, Turkey (magnetic)
• Army City historic military site at Fort Riley, Kansas (resistance)
• Chaves-Hummingbird Ruin Ancestral Pueblo site, New Mexico (magnetic; resistance)
• Fort Laramie historic military site, Wyoming (resistance)
• Shields Complex Ancestral Pueblo site, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Colorado (resistance)
• Prehistoric Houses at CA-ORA-116, California (magnetic; resistance)
• Falling Creek Ironworks Early 17th century industrial site, Chesterfield County, Virginia (GPR; magnetic; resistance)
• Central Park 19th century brewery, Grand Forks, North Dakota (resistance)

Related content:

Recent Publications by Archaeo-Physics staff

See also:

The North American Database of Archaological Geophysics (NADAG)

Website ©2009 Archaeo-Physics LLC. Unless otherwise noted, materials from this website may be reproduced for nonprofit educational purposes; please cite or link to source page. This page last updated March 28, 2009