Chapter 13 - Multimethodological approach to investigate urban and suburban archaeological sites

Abstract

Geophysical prospecting methods are considered valuable techniques for non-destructive detection of shallow-buried features of archeological interest. Usually, detection is possible because the physical property of the target features contrasts with the surrounding medium. All methods measure the variations of single physical parameters; therefore, if these are used singularly, they could not permit a complete location and characterization of anomalous bodies. The prospection techniques most frequently used in archeological sites are the ground-penetrating radar (GPR), fluxgate differential magnetic (FDM), and electric resistivity tomography (ERT). Following the above outlined approach, we have integrated geophysical methods that measure the variations of potential field with active methods that measure the variations of physical properties due to the body's geometry and volume. In the present chapter, some of these integration methods will be described, and it will be shown how these have been applied to four case studies in urban and suburban areas, three in Italy and one in Turkey. In particular, the integration techniques have been tested using all three or two of the mentioned methods, depending on the conditions of the investigated sites. The first site of interest is located in an area in the Aurunci Natural Regional Park (Italy) along the ancient Appian Way; the second site is located in an urban context in the city of Rome (Italy) near the Santa Balbina's church complex. In these two sites, it has been possible to acquire data employing only two of the three available geophysical methods (GPR and ERT). The third investigated site, where it has been possible to use all three methods (GPR, ERT, and FDM), is located in a suburban area in Cerveteri about 40km far from the city of Rome (Italy). The fourth investigated site, where the magnetic gradiometer and GPR methods have been employed, is in the archeological site of Heraion Teichos (Turkey).