Towards an Operational Use of Geophysics for Archaeology in Henan (China): Methodological Approach and Results in Kaifeng

Abstract

Abstract:One of the major issues in buried archeological sites especially if characterized by intense human activity, complex structures, and several constructive phases, is: to what depth conduct the excavation? The answer depends on a number of factors, among these one of the most important is the a priori and reliable knowledge of what the subsoil can preserve. To this end, geophysics (if used in strong synergy with archaeological research) can help in the planning of time, depth, and modes of excavation also when the physical characteristics of the remains and their matrix are not ideal for archaeo-geophysical applications. This is the case of a great part of the archaeological sites in Henan, the cradle of the most important cultures in China and the seat of several capitals for more than two millennia. There, the high depth of buried remains covered by alluvial deposits and the building materials, mainly made by rammed earth, did not favor the use of geophysics. In this paper, we present and discuss the GPR and ERT prospection we conducted in Kaifeng (Henan, China), nearby a gate of the city walls dated to the Northern Song Dynasty. The integration of GPR and ERT provided useful information for the identification and characterization of archaeological remains buried at different depths. Actually, each geophysical technique, GPR frequency (used for the data acquisition) as well as each way to analyze and visualize the results (from radargrams to time slice) only provided partial information of little use if alone. The integration of the diverse techniques, data processing and visualization enabled us to optimize the penetration capability, the resolution for the detection of archaeological features and their interpretation. Finally, the results obtained from the GPR and ERT surveys were correlated with archaeological stratigraphy, available nearby the investigated area. This enabled us to further improve the interpretation of results from GPR and ERT survey and also to date the anthropogenic layers from Qing to Yuan Dynasty.

New historical data on the Teutonic Order crusades in Prussia: geophysical and archaeological research into an earth‐and‐timber stronghold and city of the 1230s at Starogród, northern‐central Poland

“…That means that it is good in mapping vertical structures, such as dykes and cavities, but relatively poor in mapping horizontal structures such as sills or sedimentary layers, while providing the opportunity to relatively easily adjust the depth of current penetration (Loke, Kiflu, Wilkinson, Harro, & Kruse, , 32–33; Loke ‐2004; Loke, Barker ). Admittedly, electro‐resistance tomography, especially combined with ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) (Masini et al, ), is increasingly used in projects integrating activities using electrical and magnetic methods. In our project, in the case of significant land reclamation, both as a result of excavations and during land‐use adaptation for the purposes of its tourist access, the use of these techniques would provide data difficult to be interpreted unambiguously and would not be reasonably justified due to costs and input.…”

Automated Resistivity Profiling (ARP) to Explore Wide Archaeological Areas: The Prehistoric Site of Mont’e Prama, Sardinia, Italy

“…Integrated prospection with complementary geophysical methods permits to better define the physical model of the investigated subsoil [49]. One of the most integrated approaches in archaeology is the combination of electrical and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) methods [19,50].…”

Editorial for Special Issue “Radar Systems for the Societal Challenges”

“…Radar systems are now a significant observational tool in the field of Cultural Heritage monitoring, as shown by the paper from Masini et al [5], which presents a significant example of integration of ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography for the archaeological investigation in Kaifeng (Henan, China). In [6], the capabilities of SAR interferometry have been demonstrated for monitoring ground deformation and structural instabilities over the ancient city walls (Ming Dynasty) in Nanjing City, China.…”

“…The first one presents a comparison between drifter and X-band wave radar for sea surface current estimation [2], while the other aims at improving the operational capabilities of X-band radar systems by performing advanced data processing for wind parameter estimation, starting from X-band radar collected in challenging rainy conditions [3]. The last paper of this batch regards the use of a new observation modality ensured by an X-Band airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system for sea surface observation [4].Radar systems are now a significant observational tool in the field of Cultural Heritage monitoring, as shown by the paper from Masini et al [5], which presents a significant example of integration of ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography for the archaeological investigation in Kaifeng (Henan, China). In [6], the capabilities of SAR interferometry have been demonstrated for monitoring ground deformation and structural instabilities over the ancient city walls (Ming Dynasty) in Nanjing City, China.…”