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Geophysical Techniques for Archaeology

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Techniques in Archaeological Geology

Part of the book series: Natural Science in Archaeology ((ARCHAEOLOGY))

Abstract

This chapter will provide a brief but relatively comprehensive overview of geophysical techniques used in archaeology today ranging from electrical—resistivity and conductivity—to magnetic and radar methods. The methods to be discussed are the ones most commonly used in archaeological geophysics. Less frequently used methods—seismic, gravity, thermographic, induced polarization, and self-potential—to name some of the other methods used in “conventional” geophysics, will not be examined in any detail. Many of these other methods have achieved interesting results, in regard to archaeological prospection, but they remain, for a variety of reasons, of marginal interest to archaeology. As with all the geophysical methods utilized by archaeology, none were developed with archaeological prospection in mind. As is true with most, if not all, of the various methods used by archaeology, these methods have been borrowed and adapted to fit archaeological goals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

    Ervan Garrison

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  1. Ervan Garrison
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Garrison, E. (2016). Geophysical Techniques for Archaeology. In: Techniques in Archaeological Geology. Natural Science in Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30232-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30232-4_5

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