Magnetic prospecting and rock magnetic study of soils and archaeological objects on the Late Roman time sites near Komariv in Middle Transnistria

Abstract

The paper presents the outcome of the magnetic survey at the settlement and cemetery of the production center of the 3rd—5th centuries, Komariv (Khotyn district, Chernivtsi region), which is located on the right bank of the Dniester. The settlement has about seventy anomalies that may have an archaeological origin. The archaeological study of individual anomalies has confirmed, as expected, the reliability of geophysical interpretation of thermal structures (kilns, furnaces) and living and production dugouts deepened into the loess parent rock. Magnetic imaging at the cemetery showed about eight tens of local anomalies with an intensity of 1.5—4.5 nT. Excavations of some anomalies revealed the Early Iron Age dugout and two Late Roman graves. However, the other two excavated graves did not cause disturbance of magnetic field. Laboratory measurements of magnetic susceptibility, natural remanent magnetization and other concentration-dependent and grain-size-dependent parameters of the ferromagnetic phase, as well as magnetic mineralogy examination have shown that grave pits, which appeared on a magnetic map, are refilled almost exclusively with humus soil material. Magnetic modeling proved graves can create measured anomalies if their magnetization is equal to the magnetization of the humus horizon of the soil. Thus, these grave pits were left open and gradually refilled with moist soil material. In particular, conditions have been created for the formation of detrital remanence. When restoring the spatial structure of Komariv sites based on magnetic prospecting results, it is necessary to take into account probable multilayered structure of monuments, geomorphological features of the area, which can be misinterpreted as archeological objects, and the fact that important examples of ancient architecture constructed of non-magnetic materials and grave pits refilled immediately after digging will be absent on magnetic maps.

Advances in On- and Offshore Archaeological Prospection

“…If such third party material is not under the Creative Commons license, any copying, editing or public reproduction is only permitted with the prior consent of the respective copyright owner or on the basis of relevant legal authorization regulations. It was demonstrated that neither a magnetometer survey nor a GPR survey is able to resolve all the archaeological issues on the sites of the region (Bondar et al 2022a).…”

Combining remote sensing and geophysical data to determine Roman structures at Buzovytsia-1 settlement in Ukraine

“…The paper represents an attempt to assemble relevant evidence from magnetometer and ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, remote sensing and geospatial investigations, results of limited archaeological excavations to recognize Roman structures on the Buzovytsia-1 settlement recently discovered in Chernivtsi region (Ukraine). It was demonstrated that neither a magnetometer survey nor a GPR survey is able to resolve all the archaeological issues on the sites of the region (Bondar et al 2022a). Challenging conditions for magnetometry are represented by the use of limestone as a building material for Roman structures, and for GPR by high clay content in the soil causing adsorption of electromagnetic waves, and thus providing poor depth for GPR exploration.…”