Recent advances in the integrated geophysical exploration of buried archaeological targets

Pipan, M. and Forte, E. and Mocnik, A. and Del Ben, A. (2014) Recent advances in the integrated geophysical exploration of buried archaeological targets. Il nuovo cimento C, 37 (4). pp. 263-270. ISSN 1826-9885

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Abstract

We propose the integration of magnetic, electromagnetic (groundpenetrating radar, GPR) and seismic methods to study the inner structure of prehistoric funerary mounds. The combination of techniques allows high-resolution imaging and detection of buried targets and characterization of subsurface materials based on magnetic susceptibility, dielectric permittivity, conductivity and seismic velocity/attenuation. The 2012 archaeo-geophysical expedition to Scythian necropoleis in Kazakhstan allowed advancement of the integrated procedure through optimization of the individual techniques. We improve the results of seismic tomography inversion through an ART algorithm with a relaxation parameter which is progressively reduced during the iterative reconstruction process. We use instantaneous attributes and spectral decomposition to improve the interpretation of GPR reflection data. The results obtained from the 2012 dataset allow detailed reconstruction of the inner structure of three kurgans (i.e. funerary mounds) with maximum 7m central elevation. In particular, localized anomalies related to metallic targets smaller than the GPR and seismic resolution limits are identified from magnetic data after high pass filtering; GPR data allow imaging of inner stratigraphy up to a maximum depth of about 250 cm; seismic tomography maps large traveltime anomalies probably related to funerary chambers at the base of the mound.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Instruments and techniques for geophysical research: Exploration geophysics ; Exploration of continental structures ; Magnetic and electrical methods ; Seismic methods
Subjects: 500 Scienze naturali e Matematica > 530 Fisica
Depositing User: Marina Spanti
Date Deposited: 19 May 2020 16:12
Last Modified: 19 May 2020 16:12
URI: http://eprints.bice.rm.cnr.it/id/eprint/18668

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