Abstract
Near surface geophysical investigations are employed in archaeology in order to estimate the location, depth, shape and physical properties of buried ancient structures. The geophysical study initiated in 2008 on tumuli located in the Histria necropolis was based on magnetics, the measurements being carried out with a proton precession magnetometer / gradientmeter. The networks where measurements of total magnetic field and magnetic vertical gradient were performed covered each tumulus and small adjacent areas. The magnetic measurement points situated at 2 m interval represented detailed rectangular networks. The necropolis is situated at ca 2 km north-west of Histria ancient Greek city and includes a great number of tumuli of various dimensions and trends. Previous archaeological studies evidenced different rituals of burial for the ca 1300 years of continuous inhabitation during Greek colonization and Roman / Byzantine empires. The magnetic data obtained for the tumulus analyzed in this paper, located toward the north-western limit of the Histria necropolis, suggest quite complex archaeological features, similar to those observed in the excavations. Generally, metallic artifacts, a clay layer affected by fire or active magnetic rocks employed in the buried infrastructures may represent sources of high magnetic anomalies. The magnetic total field and vertical gradient anomalies are interpreted as being here mainly due to burnt materials and buried greenshist structure (high anomalies), or to an outer stone belt made of limestone boulders (low anomalies).
Highlights
Non-destructive geophysical methods are used nowadays in archaeological studies to provide important information on the form, size, spatial arrangement and certain physical properties of the buried features in order to guide excavation works
The outer main low magnetic anomaly is still seen in this map, but especially on the tumulus flanks, where measurements were taken at the topography height, closer to the buried stone belt
A magnetic prospection carried out in August 2008 within the Histria ancient necropolis aimed at testing the capability of this geophysical method to investigate the tumuli infrastructure in this area
Summary
Non-destructive geophysical methods are used nowadays in archaeological studies to provide important information on the form, size, spatial arrangement and certain physical properties of the buried features in order to guide excavation works. Among these methods, high resolution magnetics was adopted in the last two decades in archaeological prospection being able to detect shallow archaeological targets at depths of a few meters. The archaeological targets usually generate small magnetic anomalies in the range of a few tens of nT, for total field anomalies, or nT/m, for vertical gradient anomalies. Magnetic archaeological remains are be represented by kilns, bricks, pottery and obviously, artifacts made from iron, all being characterized by high magnetic susceptibility and/or remanent magnetization
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