Mapping the possible buried archaeological targets using magnetic and ground penetrating radar data, Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract

Magnetic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques are perhaps the most convenient and popular geophysical survey techniques for detecting the buried archaeological targets, because of their high speed and quality of information. The results of the two used techniques have been integrated in Dawwar Jabal, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt to detect the buried archaeological remains and their depths.The magnetic survey shows various high positive magnetic anomalies, some of these anomalies are related to the possible archaeological targets and the others are due to the mudstones which may include iron minerals. The results of the GPR survey after processing shows scattering and strong reflection of the subsurface oscillations along some profiles, which may reflect the existence of the possible buried objects. Meanwhile, no evidence of scattering or clear reflection for the signals are recorded along the other profiles which suggest that there is not any possibility of archaeological targets.The integration of the obtained results from the two used techniques indicates that there is some agreement in mapping the locations of the possible buried archaeological targets and their depths (1–7.5 m) for most of the detected targets. However, few targets are observed only on the data of one of the used techniques and disappeared along the other. This is related to the limitation of each technique. Therefore, such combination of the two mentioned techniques to detect the archaeological targets yields more information about the locations and depths of the buried targets than is obtain if each technique is used individually.