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The use of magnetic and geoelectrical methods to locate buried ancient artificial canals and wells around the cultural heritage of Indrapatra Fort, Aceh, Indonesia

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Abstract

The application of magnetic and geoelectrical methods for archaeological study is presented in this paper. The study was intended to map near-surface structures around the Indrapatra Fort, the 16th-century fortification built during the Early Aceh Sultanate in the north of Sumatra. Some of the structures around the fort have been buried after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami or even by previous paleotsunami deposits. The ground magnetic measurements were performed over an area of 6 750 m2 using a high-resolution Proton Precession Magnetometer G-19 Geometric. Total magnetic field data were acquired as a 3-m grid station along survey lines spaced 3-m apart. Total magnetic field anomalies were calculated by diurnal and International Geomagnetic Reference Field corrections. To clarify the position of objects causing the anomalies, analytical signals and tilt derivative filters have been applied to the total magnetic field anomalies. The method found several structures with contrasting physical properties to those of the surrounding material. Both filters were able to identify the presence of circular, elongated, and square anomalies around the Indrapatra site. The archaeological interpretation of such structures is in terms of wells, canals, and road floors. The structures are made of limestone boulders buried within the uppermost sand layer. The burning process to cement the boulders causes their magnetic properties to be different in contrast to the layer of sand that covers them. Based on magnetic interpretation, three geoelectrical profiles were measured crossing the targeted objects using Supersting R8/IP 56 Electrode Electric Resistivity. Wenner configuration with 1-meter electrodes spacing was applied for a better model resolution. The inverted models of apparent resistivity data show an agreement with magnetic interpretation at shallow depth. The models also imaged the depth and geometry of the objects based on the electrical resistivity properties of subsurface materials. It is expected that the structures preserved tsunamigenic deposits, so the discovery of the structures will be able to contribute to further research on paleotsunami in Aceh.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Direktorat Riset dan Pengembangan Masyarakat (DRPM) research grants, contract no. 154/E4.1/AK.04.PT/2021. We thank Department of Geophysics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, and Badan Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Banda Aceh for contributing excavation figures, field work support, and permission. Thanks to Badrul Munir, Agus Hari Pramana, Tomi Afrizal, Muhammad Nanda, Tengku Tiara Mahendra, and Syauqi Alfaraby for their assistance in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia

    Nazli Ismail & Amir Asyqari

  2. Department of Geophysical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia

    Muhammad Yanis

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  1. Nazli Ismail
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Correspondence to Nazli Ismail.

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Ismail, N., Yanis, M. & Asyqari, A. The use of magnetic and geoelectrical methods to locate buried ancient artificial canals and wells around the cultural heritage of Indrapatra Fort, Aceh, Indonesia. Geosci J 27, 67–76 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-022-0025-y

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