The contribution of geophysical prospecting in the reconstruction of the buried ancient environments of the house of Marcus Fabius Rufus (Pompeii, Italy)

Abstract

Anintegratedgeophysicalstudy wascarriedoutina Romanhouseinthearchaeologicalareaof Pompeii (Italy).Thehouse, once ownedby Marcus Fabius Rufus, isanimportant architecturalbuildingoverlookingalarge gardenthatislikely to contain buried archaeological structures.The geophysical survey was planned to support an archaeological reconstruction oftheresidentialcomplex, whichwasbased onthe assumptionthat thehouse wassurroundedbyan arcade.Electromagnetic data allowed us to assess the most promising areas for investigating the subsoil within the garden.The resistivity methodyieldedmore detailedresultsandafurthernon-invasivegeophysicaltechnique, self-potential, confirmedthepresence of very shallow structures.We performed an integrated interpretation of the data and detected structures buried under different volcanic eruptions succeeding the Plinian event of Mount Somma-Vesuvius in AD 79. Specifically, several structures were found at a very shallow depth; their shapes are regular and the physical parameters are interpreted as anthropogenic remnants, whose geometry does not appear to be linked to architectural elements of a classical arcade. Atestexcavationrevealedthepresence of wallswhose configuration correspondedwithbasinsfor watercollection.Apart from the detected remains, the characterization of the pyroclastic deposits in terms of conductivity and of susceptibility allowed a synthesis of the stratigraphic context.

3D Reconstruction of Buried Structures from Magnetic, Electromagnetic and ERT Data: Example from the Archaeological Site of Phaistos (Crete, Greece)

“…Different geophysical methods were applied to test their resolution in the considered geological setting as well as to provide an effective and detailed model of the subsoil, which is supplied whenever a multi-methodological approach is adopted (e.g. Patella et al, 2000;Piro et al, 2003;Meola et al, 2005;Linford, 2006;Kvamme, 2006;Schmidt, 2009;Di Maio et al, 2010). Specifically, high resolution surveys of magnetic, frequency-domain EM, groundpenetrating radar and direct current geoelectric measurements were performed.…”

Geophysical prospection of a bronze foundry on the southern slope of the acropolis at athens, Greece

“…The use of different geophysical methods, as shown previously in other studies (e.g. Leopold et al ., 2010; Lowe and Fogel, 2010; Maio et al ., 2010), was especially valuable in this case because magnetometry failed, but GPR and two‐ and three‐dimensional ERT surveys produced good results, which substituted for the other method.…”

Numerical modeling of architectonic structures'' thermal response. Laboratory and in-situ data analysis

“…The typical problems of this complex are: water infiltration, degradation of the building materials and inner inhomogeneities [19]. The inspection with infrared thermography was carried out in two rooms of the House, the northeast wall of the room 82 (figure 5b) and the south-west wall of the room 80 (figure 5c).…”