Special Issue Article

Efficient, large-scale archaeological prospection using a true three-dimensional ground-penetrating Radar Array system

  1. Immo Trinks1,*,
  2. Bernth Johansson2,*,
  3. Jaana Gustafsson2,
  4. Jesper Emilsson2,
  5. Johan Friborg2,
  6. Christer Gustafsson2,
  7. Johan Nissen2,
  8. Alois Hinterleitner3

Article first published online: 2 JUL 2010

DOI: 10.1002/arp.381

Issue

Archaeological Prospection

Archaeological Prospection

Special Issue: Special Issue on Selected Papers from the 8th ISAP Conference and 7th Colloque GEOFCAN

Volume 17, Issue 3, pages 175–186, July/September 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Trinks, I., Johansson, B., Gustafsson, J., Emilsson, J., Friborg, J., Gustafsson, C., Nissen, J. and Hinterleitner, A. (2010), Efficient, large-scale archaeological prospection using a true three-dimensional ground-penetrating Radar Array system. Archaeol. Prospect., 17: 175–186. doi: 10.1002/arp.381

Author Information

  1. 1

    Swedish National Heritage Board, UV Teknik, Instrumentvägen 19, 126 53 Hägersten, Sweden

  2. 2

    MALÅ Geoscience AB, Skolgatan 11, SE-930 70 Malå, Sweden

  3. 3

    Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, A-1190 Vienna, Austria

*Swedish National Heritage Board – Riksantikvarieämbetet, UV Teknik, Instrumentvägen 19, 126 53 Hägersten, Sweden.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 AUG 2010
  2. Article first published online: 2 JUL 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 10 MAY 2010
  4. Manuscript Received: 15 MAR 2010

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Keywords:

  • Ground-penetrating radar;
  • multichannel array;
  • high-resolution prospection;
  • Birka and Hovgården;
  • Sweden

Abstract

The Swedish UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site of the Birka and Hovgården Iron Age settlements is well suited for the testing of high-resolution archaeological prospection methods. In May 2006 ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometer test measurements were conducted at Birka, resulting in data of outstanding quality and new archaeological discoveries, but also demonstrating the need for increased spatial sampling regarding GPR prospection at complex Scandinavian sites. Therefore Birka was selected as a testing ground for a pilot study investigating the suitability of the novel multichannel GPR array system MIRA (MALÅ Imaging Radar Array) for efficient, large-scale GPR surveys with very dense spatial sampling. The study was conducted in May 2008 by MALÅ Geoscience AB in collaboration with the archaeological prospection unit of the Swedish National Heritage Board. The very high-resolution three-dimensional GPR pilot survey demonstrated that it is possible to survey 1 ha and more per day with 8 cm cross-line spacing, mapping archaeological structures in unprecedented resolution, such as postholes of only 25 cm diameter. This paper describes the tested technology and methodology as well as the fieldwork and the results of the study. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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