Archaeological site surveying program at the University of Nebraska
A summary of geophysical applications peculiar to archaeology and magnetic surveying techniques applied by the University of Nebraska to archaeological sites is presented. In contrast to geophysical targets, the size and depth of the features of interest on archaeological sites are from several centimeters to a few meters. Typical features are historic foundations, wells, privies or prehistoric earthen features such as earth house floors, storage pits, or fire hearths. The most commonly used geophysical methods are resistivity, radar, and magnetometry. The program at the University of Nebraska has concentrated on magnetic surveying field methods based on the use of two magnetometers in the difference mode to correct for temporal variations. Data processing used both microcomputers and mainframe computers. Microcomputers are used in the field and near sites to log data and to do preliminary mapping. Mainframe computers are used for further processing and filtering and for producing a variety of graphical representations of the data for an archaeological audience. Case histories presented are from site surveys in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska.