Geophysics in archaeology

For decades now, the non-destructive prospecting methods of geophysics have been making a valuable contribution to the exploration of potential archaeological sites and to the protection and preservation of archaeological monuments. Geophysics has firmly established itself as a versatile auxiliary science in archaeology and has become an indispensable part of the methodological repertoire of numerous research projects and heritage conservation measures. Using specific case studies, this lecture offers a specialist audience with no prior knowledge of geophysics an insight into the three common survey methods – ground-penetrating radar, magnetic and electrical surveys – and examines their application from an archaeological perspective. In addition to the possibilities and limitations of the individual methods, the lecture will address the handling of the measurement data obtained and the challenges involved in their archaeological interpretation.