The Potential of Magnetometry to Survey Iberian Settlements: Revealing the Hidden Urbanism of ‘Los Villares’ (Caudete de las Fuentes, Valencia)

Abstract

This poster shows the results of a magnetometer survey carried out at ‘Los Villares’, an Iberian site located in a hillfort near the municipality of ‘Caudete de las Fuentes’, in the Utiel-Requena district (Valencia, Spain). The aim of the survey was to map the extent of buried structures in the area using non-invasive methods. The project is a collaboration between GeoSat Research (Greece) and the department of Archaeology of the University of Valencia (Spain).
The site has been identified as the ancient city of Kelin, where its extensive chronology expands from the beginning of the Iron Age (about 680 B.C.) to ibero-roman times (75 B.C.). Kelin became the capital of a large Iberian territory and developed its own coinage (II century B.C.). Some studies have suggested that the site was destroyed as a result of a corrective measure applied by Rome to those Iberian cities that supported the defeated Sertorian side during the civil war. The twenty three excavation campaigns carried out by the University of Valencia between 1956 and 2002 have focused on two main areas at the site containing a number houses, covering a total of 1000 m2. The excavations retrieved a great deal of findings relating to the economy of the community living at Kelin as well as the recording of several phases of the internal structure and architecture of the excavated houses.
A magnetometer survey was undertaken by a team of three people over two days in December 2013, using a single fluxgate gradiometer Bartington 601. Ten survey grids of 20x20m were recorded covering approximately 4.800 m2. The survey revealed a series of both strong magnetic responses and linear negative magnetic anomalies which seem to indicate the location of square and rectangular houses. These structures cover the whole area surveyed and seem to be distributed along a series of perpendicular and longitudinal negative or weakly positive magnetic responses which may show the distribution of roads or perimetral walls. The intensity of the strong magnetic anomalies may be associated with substantial burnt features such as mud-brick walls or other structural materials of the houses. This interpretation would seem to agree with the possible final destruction of the site. Other linear negative magnetic anomalies may be produced by the mud-brick walls that were not affected by the fire or the contrast produced by stone foundations of the houses.
The approach used in this study has proved the great potential of magnetometer survey to map the urban layout of Iberian sites with a final destruction phase in a non-invasive and cost-effective manner. Two days’ survey and a small team were enough to get a complete view of the buried structures at the site and therefore, an approximation of how Kelin looked like before its destruction. Further work intends to implement other geophysical techniques at the site to complement the magnetic results in the non-excavated area. For example, ground-penetrating radar may provide further details on some of the internal structures or information about the depth of burial of the structures.

Full text

The survey revealed a series of
both strong magnetic respons-
es and linear positive and neg-
ative magnetic anomalies cov-
ering the whole area surveyed.
Carmen Cuenca García Consuelo Mata Parreño
The ancient city of Kelin is lo-
cated in a hillfort near the mu-
nicipality of Caudete de las
Fuentes, in the Utiel-Requena
district (Valencia, Spain).
carmen@ims.forth.gr
consuelo.mata@uv.es
Caudete de
las Fuentes
Kelin
The extensive chronology of Kelin expands
from the beginning of the Iron Age (about 680
B.C.) to ibero-roman times (75 B.C.). Kelin be-
came the capital of a large Iberian territory and
developed its own coinage (2nd century B.C.).
In December 2013 a
magnetometer survey
was undertaken at the
non-excavated area of
the protected site (in
red, left) in order to map
other potential struc-
tures .
Fourteen survey grids
of ~20mx20m (in green,
left) were surveyed
covering an area of ~
4.600 m2.
Some studies have suggest-
ed that the site was de-
stroyed as a result of a cor-
rective measure applied by
Rome to those Iberian cities
that supported the defeated
Sertorian side during the civil
war.
The twenty three excavation
campaigns carried out by the
University of Valencia be-
tween 1956 and 2002 have fo-
cused on two main areas at
the site (in blue, right) con-
taining a number houses,
covering a total of 1000 m2.
The Site
Data Collection & Processing
Anomaly Interpretation
+nT
-nT
+nT
-nT
+nT
-nT
RAW
DATA
PROCESSED
DATA (greys)
PROCESSED
DATA (colour)
The raw data
was processed
using the Geo-
plot software
(Geoscan Re-
search version
3.0). ArcMap
(ArcGIS) was
used to georef-
erence the im-
ages produced
with Geoplot
and to carry out
the interpreta-
tion of the data.
A team of three people collect-
ed the data during two days of
fieldwork, using a Bartington
601 fluxgate gradiometer. The
instrument measures variations
in the vertical component of the
magnetic field. It has two sen-
sors, one positioned 1m above
the other. The difference in the
output of the two sensors rep-
resents the magnetic gradient;
variations in the background
field (common to both sensors)
are removed by subtraction.
Conclusions
The approach used in this study has proved the great potential of magnetometer survey to map the
urban layout of Iberian sites with a final destruction phase in a non-invasive and cost-effective man-
ner. Two days’ survey and a small team were enough to get a complete view of the buried structures
at the site and therefore, an approximation of how Kelin looked like before its destruction. Further
work intends to use other geophysical techniques at the site to complement the magnetic results in
the non-excavated area. For example, ground-penetrating radar may provide further details on some
of the internal structures or information about the depth of burial of the structures.
Carmen Cuenca García
Laboratory of Geophysical-Satellite Remote Sensing &
Archaeoenvironment, Institute for Mediterranean Studies,
Foundation for research and Technology, Greece
Consuelo Mata Parreño
Department of Archaeology, University of Valencia, Spain
N N
Linear (positive & negative) magnet-
ic anomalies indicating the location
of possible buried structures
Strong magnetic anomalies
of possible structural burned
material
Magnetic disturbance pro-
duced by surface metallic
objects
Old fence posts
Possible road B
Old fence posts
New fence
Possible road C
Possible road E
Possible road D
Road A
The anomalies seem to in-
dicate the location of
square and rectangular
houses aligned along a se-
ries of perpendicular and
longitudinal negative or
weakly positive magnetic
responses which may
show the distribution of
roads or perimetral walls.
The intensity of the strong
magnetic anomalies may
be associated with sub-
stantial burnt features such
as mud-brick walls or other
structural materials of the
houses. This interpretation
would seem to agree with
the possible final destruc-
tion of the site. Other linear
negative magnetic anoma-
lies may be produced by
the mud-brick walls that
were not affected by the
fire or the contrast pro-
duced by stone founda-
tions of the houses.
0m 30m
0m 30m
The Potential of Magnetometry to Survey Iberian Sites:
Revealing the Hidden Urbanism of ‘Kelin’
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