The archaeo-geophysical input of STAR-LAB
Abstract
STAR-LAB is a mobile laboratory with instrumentation suitable for archaeological fieldwork and the related analysis of materials remains, monuments and artefacts. It consists of a four-wheel drive truck equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and software to support activity in 3D data capture, advanced imaging technologies, chemical-physical analyses and near-surface geophysical survey. This self-sufficient unit offers autonomy to perform on-site analyses and provide results in real-time thus overcoming the logistical difficulties that frequently arise in archaeological and cultural heritage research. STAR-LAB is a Strategic Infrastructure project of the Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC) of The Cyprus Institute.
Geophysical survey is one of the research services integrated within STAR-LAB, which will be equipped with a magnetometer and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system. These ground-based and near-surface sensing techniques aid in the detection, identification and analysis of archaeological sites in a non-destructive manner. At its initial stage, the STAR-LAB archaeo-geophysical program is supported by GeoSat ReSeArch (IMS/FORTH) and will coordinate a series of geophysical survey at several archaeological Cypriot sites to help in developing the service. The overall aim of the archaeological input of STAR-LAB is to promote the use of geophysical survey in Cypriot archaeological investigations by evaluating and developing best practice and assisting the archaeological community in meeting their project's goals.
This presentation will introduce the research facility, the instrumentation available and some preliminary results of the geophysical surveys carried out under the above framework.
... Following previous experience at the site Cuenca-García et al. 2014), the techniques used for the geophysical survey were magnetometry and a ground-penetrating radar using the geophysical equipment pool of the STARLAB Project (Fig. 2). First of all, an extensive magnetometer survey was carried out using a dual Bartington Grad601. ...
Potential field derivative techniques are intensively used in various geophysical large-scale investigations. The current work applies some of these techniques to small-scale high-resolution surveys commonly conducted in archaeological prospection and environmental investigations. The techniques include: spatial orthogonal derivatives, analytical signal amplitude (ASA), total horizontal derivative (THDR), tilt angle derivative (TDR), total horizontal derivative of TDR (TDR-THDR), horizontal tilt angle (TDX), tilt angle of total horizontal derivative (TAHDR), and generalized derivative operator (GDO). The study concluded that derivative mapping could reveal more information about the buried sources of anomalies than those deduced from the original total magnetic map or the actual vertical gradient map. Edge enhancement of the THDR map was depth independent, while ASA enhanced the shallower and larger objects more than the deeper ones. Inflections of the TDR, from positive, passes through zero over the edges of buried walls are superimposed by zero vertical derivative Z and maximum Y horizontal derivative. THDR contacts that overlie the analytical signal amplitudes ASA indicate that the edges of the wall are vertically dipping. TDR-THDR and TAHDR show sharper delineation of the edges. GDO produces good horizontal locations for contacts and edges, independently of dip, inclination and depth. In addition, it clarified other buried deeper and smaller walls running in different directions, not perpendicular to the direction of the surveyed traverses.
... The site was surveyed by collecting soil samples for elemental analyses. This was done both in excavated areas, by sampling in an area of known metalworking activities and also from random spots within the excavation, and in unexcavated areas where the magnetometer survey detected a concentration of strong magnetic dipoles in close association with another area where numerous slag cake fragments were present on the soil surface (Cuenca-García et al., 2014). The enrichment of all elements was calculated for all analyzed samples. ...
Available online xxxx During the 13 th and 12 th centuries BCE, Dromolaxia-Vyzakia (Hala Sultan Tekke) was a flourishing coastal settlement located at the shores of the Larnaca salt lake and for this reason the site has attracted a great deal of scholarly interest. Evidence of ceramic, ivory and metal manufacturing processes supports the belief that this site was not only a location active in trade, but also an important crafts centre. Despite the fact that a significant number of archaeological missions invested considerable time and expertise to study the site, its spatial extent and makeup is still not fully understood. Significant efforts are currently underway to reveal the extent of the whole settlement and to pinpoint possible anthropogenic activities. The detection of intriguing magnetic anomalies during a preliminary geophysical survey over an unexcavated area adjacent to the main excavation, and the presence of nearby surface scattered slag fragments, suggested further investigation. These locations were ideal for an extensive geochemical survey through micro-XRF measurements. Therefore, an extensive geochemical survey, the objective of this study, was carried out to measure concentrations of elements (K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) using a micro-XRF. Soil samples were collected at an excavated area of known anthropogenic activity as well as from other unexcavated areas including the one assessed by the geophysical survey. Results were analyzed with the method of principal components analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation coefficients focusing on the identification of possible patterns amongst sampling areas. The site's normal background concentration values (NBC) were also determined in order to evaluate elemental enhancement by enrichment factors. The statistical analysis of results indicated the impact of metalworking or other related processes in the soil's chemistry. In addition, it identified elements that can be attributed to anthropogenic activities (K, Ca, Ni, Cu, and Zn) and also corroborated with the geophysical data highlighting specific zones where future archaeological efforts should focus.
... Following previous experience at the site (Trinks et al. 2013; Cuenca-Garcia et al. 2014), the techniques used for the geophysical survey were magnetometry and a ground-penetrating radar (Fig.3). Firstly, an extensive magnetometer survey was carried out using a dual Bartington GRAD-601. ...
... Following previous experience at the site (Trinks et al. 2013; Cuenca-Garcia et al. 2014), the techniques used for the geophysical survey were magnetometry and a ground-penetrating radar (Fig.3). Firstly, an extensive magnetometer survey was carried out using a dual Bartington GRAD-601. ...
... Following previous experience at the site (Trinks et al. 2013;Cuenca-García et al. 2014), the techniques used for the geophysical survey were magnetometry and a ground-penetrating radar using the geophysical equipment pool of the STARLAB Project (Fig. 2). First of all, an extensive magnetometer survey was carried out using a dual Bartington Grad601. ...
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