Geological and geophysical investigations in the Roman cemetery at Kenchreai (Korinthia), Greece

Abstract

The Kenchreai Cemetery Project (KCP) comprises an interdisciplinary archaeological research teamthat is exploring a major cemetery of Roman date in southern Greece. The cemetery is located on the Koutsongila Ridge just north of the ancient harbour of Kenchreai, the prosperous eastern port of Corinth.Surface remainsthat have beenvisible forcenturies orexposed by lootinginclude chamber tombs, cist gravesandarchitecture.In 2004 KCPconductedgeologicalandgeophysicalinvestigations to reconstruct the naturaland settledlandscapewhere ancient residentsburied theirdead.Geological study of the ridge and its vicinity has determined that the tombs are situated within a geologic unit particularly wellsuited forrock-cut construction, andthat tombswereintentionallycutinto thebedrock so that thevaultedroofs correspondedwitha particularlyresistant calcareoushorizon (caliche), which provided a stable ceiling for the subterranean chambers. Moreover, several metres of coastline have eroded into the Saronic Gulf since antiquity. A systematic geophysical survey using electromagnetic, magnetic, ground-penetrating radar and gravity techniques was also carried out to map uncovered remainsandto correlatevisiblewith subsurface features.Severalanomalieswereidentified that might represent previously unknown large structures and burial sites in the central and southern areas of the ridge. In addition, experimental tests using GPR and micro-gravitometry demonstrated the efficacyof these methods for surveying rock-cut tombs.The combined results of geological and geophysical investigation provide valuable information concerning local resource exploitation, structural distribution, and environmental change. These investigations model an innovative approach to the study of mortuary landscapes.

Rediscovering the small theatre and amphitheatre of ancient Ierapytna (SE Crete) by integrated geophysical methods

“…Geophysical techniques are nowadays usually applied either for guiding excavations (systematic and surveillance) (e.g. Hayden et al, 2007;Sarris et al, 2007;Parkinson et al, 2010) or within the context of surface surveys (e.g. Gourley et al, 2008;Sarris et al, 2011) or even within the course of large construction works Papadopoulos and Sarris, 2010).…”

Geophysical survey in Greece: recent developments, discoveries and future prospects

“…Geophysics is regularly used to study the archaeology of the dead, specifically in the detection of tombs and burials in cemeteries, and, even more challenging, in the recording of the internal structures of burial mounds or tumuli. At Kenchreai (ID105, ID276, ID742, ID1417, ID2490), one of the harbours of Corinth, an integrated geophysical survey using magnetics, EMI, GPR and micro-gravitometry was carried out on the Koutsongila Hill along the coast, where a Roman cemetery with chamber tombs and cist graves had been exposed by illicit digging (Sarris et al 2007). The purpose of the survey was to gain a better picture of the extent and density of burials and other features in the cemetery ahead of excavations.…”

Review of Environmental and Geological Microgravity Applications and Feasibility of Its Employment at Archaeological Sites in Israel

“…Microgravity survey has been successfully employed at the Roman Amphitheatre of Durres, Albania [40]. Microgravity examination performed by Sarris et al [41] allowed identifying negative gravity anomalies above the ancient tombs in the Roman Cemetery at Kenchreai (Korinthia), Greece.…”