Deciphering a timeline of demise at Medieval Angkor, Cambodia using remote sensing

The Greater Angkor Region was the center of the Khmer Empire from the 9th until the 13th to the 14th centuries CE, when it entered a period of decline. Many studies have suggested that the decline of Angkor was precipitated by several factors, including severe monsoons, geopolitical shifts, and invasions. In this paper, we use light detection and ranging and ground penetrating radar to investigate the possible intersection of two of these existential threats in one feature: the North Bank Wall. Our results indicate that this feature was designed with dual functionality of extending the urban area’s defenses to the east of Angkor Thom while maintaining the existing infrastructure for the distribution and disposal of water. These findings suggest that the North Bank Wall was built before the severe droughts in the mid-13th century. The timing of the construction indicates that the perceived need for additional security—whether from internal factional disputes or external adversaries—predated the final adaptations to the hydraulic network during the unprecedented monsoon variability of the 14th century. These results indicate that perceived political unrest may have played a more important role in the decline of the site than previously known.

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The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2010. Excavations at Dromolaxia Vizatzia/Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

Opuscula Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome ◽

10.30549/opathrom-04-04 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 69-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Peter M. Fischer ◽

Patrik Klingborg ◽

Fanny Kärfve ◽

Fredrika Kärfve ◽

C. Hagberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Main Task ◽

Phase 2 ◽

The North ◽

12Th Century ◽

Area 6 ◽

Recent Phase ◽

The Rich ◽

Ground Penetrating

Determination of the complete occupational sequence of the site, including investigation of pre-12th century levels which were thoroughly studied by P. Åström since the 1970s, is the main task of the planned project. During the course of the expedition (NSCE11) in spring 2010 a ground-penetrating radar survey (GPR) was carried out at Dromolaxia Vizatzia/Hala Sultan Tekke in Area 6, leading to the discovery of a large Late Cypriote complex. The compound is bordered to the north by a substantial wall, against which nine rooms (so far) could be exposed. Two occupational phases have been verified but there are indications of a third. The suggested functions of the various structures of the most recent phase are: living, working, storage and administration spaces. The rich find contexts point to the production of textiles and metal objects, and the locally produced pottery is generally of a high quality. There are also many imports, mainly from the Mycenaean sphere of culture. The locally produced vessels from Phase 2 include the “Creature krater” which is a masterpiece of a high artistic standard. Another piece of elevated artistry is the piece of a “Warrior vase”.

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Integration of ground-penetrating radar, ultrasonic tests and infrared thermography for the analysis of a precious medieval rose window

Advances in Geosciences ◽

10.5194/adgeo-24-69-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 69-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

L. Nuzzo ◽

A. Calia ◽

D. Liberatore ◽

N. Masini ◽

E. Rizzo

Keyword(s):

Infrared Thermography ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

13Th Century ◽

Complementary Information ◽

Multi Scale ◽

Architectural Elements ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Ground Penetrating ◽

The Rose

Abstract. The integration of high-resolution, non-invasive geophysical techniques (such as ground-penetrating radar or GPR) with emerging sensing techniques (acoustics, thermography) can complement limited destructive tests to provide a suitable methodology for a multi-scale assessment of the state of preservation, material and construction components of monuments. This paper presents the results of the application of GPR, infrared thermography (IRT) and ultrasonic tests to the 13th century rose window of Troia Cathedral (Apulia, Italy), affected by widespread decay and instability problems caused by the 1731 earthquake and reactivated by recent seismic activity. This integrated approach provided a wide amount of complementary information at different scales, ranging from the sub-centimetre size of the metallic joints between the various architectural elements, narrow fractures and thin mortar fillings, up to the sub-metre scale of the internal masonry structure of the circular ashlar curb linking the rose window to the façade, which was essential to understand the original building technique and to design an effective restoration strategy.

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Investigating the internal structure of holocene coastal sand dunes using ground-penetrating radar: example from the north coast of Northern Ireland

10.1117/12.383554 ◽

2000 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John McGourty ◽

Peter Wilson

Keyword(s):

Northern Ireland ◽

Internal Structure ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Sand Dunes ◽

North Coast ◽

Coastal Sand Dunes ◽

The North ◽

Coastal Sand ◽

Ground Penetrating

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Ground-penetrating radar inspection of subsurface historical structures at the baptism (El-Maghtas) site, Jordan

Geoscientific Instrumentation Methods and Data Systems ◽

10.5194/gi-9-491-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 491-497

Author(s):

AbdEl-Rahman Abueladas ◽

Emad Akawwi

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

3D Imaging ◽

Dead Sea ◽

Surrounding Area ◽

Baptist Church ◽

Ancient Pottery ◽

Historical Structures ◽

John The Baptist ◽

The North ◽

Ground Penetrating

Abstract. The baptism (El-Maghtas) site is located to the north of the Dead Sea on the eastern bank of the Jordan River. Previous archeological excavations in the surrounding area have uncovered artifacts that include the location that was home to “John the Baptist”, who lived and preached in the early 1st Century AD and is known for baptizing Jesus. Archeological excavations have revealed walls, antiquities, and ancient water systems that include conduits, pools, and ancient pottery pipes. A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was carried out at select locations along parallel profiles using a subsurface interface radar system (Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. SIRvoyer-20) with 400 MHz or 900 MHz mono-static shielded antennas in order to locate archeological materials at shallow depths. The GPR profiles revealed multiple subsurface anomalies across the study area. At the John the Baptist Church site a buried wall was detected along the profiles, and at the pool site the survey delineated several buried channels. GPR data also confirmed the extension of an ancient pottery pipe at the Elijah's Hill site through the production of a clear diffraction hyperbola anomaly related to the ancient pottery pipe that could be discriminated from the 2D profiles. The GPR data were displaced using 3D imaging to define the horizontal and vertical extent of the pipe.

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Ground-penetrating radar investigations along the North Anatolian fault near Izmit, Turkey: Constraints on the right-lateral movement and slip history

Geology ◽

10.1130/g19949.1 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 85 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Matthieu Ferry ◽

Mustapha Meghraoui ◽

Jean-François Girard ◽

Thomas K. Rockwell ◽

Özgur Kozaci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

North Anatolian Fault ◽

Lateral Movement ◽

The North ◽

Slip History ◽

The Right ◽

Ground Penetrating

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Groundwater Surface (GWS) Mapping by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) For Use in Protecting Freshwater Habitats, Water Quality, and Active Dune Landscapes, In the Florence Coastal Dune Sheet, Oregon, USA

Journal of Geography and Geology ◽

10.5539/jgg.v11n1p13 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 13 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Curt D. Peterson ◽

Sarah R. Doliber

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Fish Passage ◽

Remotely Sensed ◽

Coastal Dune ◽

Gis Mapping ◽

The North ◽

Freshwater Habitats ◽

Resort Development ◽

Ground Penetrating ◽

Track Line

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiling was performed in the Florence (FLOR) coastal dune sheet to test relations between remotely-sensed groundwater surface (GWS) trends, measured groundwater phreatic surfaces, and overlying freshwater features/habitats. Following preliminary GPR testing, the GWS trend mapping was employed in the north FLOR dune aquifer (17 km in length and 5 km in width), in anticipation of increasing development pressures on aquifer groundwater withdrawal by the City of Florence, Oregon. Several available technologies, including continuously-towed GPR profiling (5-8 km/hr), real-time GPS positioning (±2 m horizontal), Lidar elevation control (±0.5 m NAVD88), and GIS mapping/surface trend analyses permitted upscaling to the large management area (40 km2) in the north FlOR dune aquifer. Totals of 95 km of GPR track-line, including 943 averaged shot points at 100 m track-line intervals (total ~100,000 shot points), were collected during a three-week field effort. The remotely sensed GWS, ranging from 1 to 14 m depth subsurface and 0 to 57 m elevation NAVD88, was ground-truthed in ponds, gaining-stream reaches, and monitored water wells. An area wide groundwater surface map confirmed a modeled dune-ramp aquifer, sloping (0.5-2.0 % gradients) to the Pacific Ocean shoreline and the dividing Siuslaw River valley. The continuous GPR profiles connected large dune barrage lakes, interdune valley window lakes, anadromous fish passage streams, and sensitive bog habitats to the locally-variable GWS (0.98 R2 correlation coefficient). These elevated freshwater features were shown not to be developed on perched dune soil aquitards or lake bottom mud seals, but rather they are directly dependent on the mounded, variably sloping, and very-shallow GWS in the regional dune aquifer. Shallow GWS depths also promote colonization of active dune surfaces by non-native invasive dune grasses. The freshwater lakes and ponds were shown to be susceptible to contaminant transport by down-gradient GWS flows from surrounding residential and resort development.

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Integrated Archaeogeophysical Approach for the Study of a Medieval Monastic Settlement in Basilicata

Open Archaeology ◽

10.1515/opar-2015-0014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Giovanni Leucci ◽

Nicola Masini ◽

Enzo Rizzo ◽

Luigi Capozzoli ◽

Gregory De Martino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Time Windows ◽

Aerial Survey ◽

Limited Area ◽

13Th Century ◽

Adjacent Structures ◽

History Of ◽

Ground Penetrating

AbstractThe paper deals with the results of an archaeo-geophysical approach adopted for the study and the reconstruction of the architectural plan of the medieval monastery of San Pietro a Cellaria in Calvello (Basilicata, Southern Italy). The monastery is a remarkable witness to Benedectine architecture of the 12-13th century in Basilicata, built by monks of the Congregation of S. Maria di Pulsano, who were active mainly in southern Italy. The historical data and the diachronic architectural study, based on the analysis of building techniques, provide evidence for a long and intense history, during which the monastery underwent several architectural changes, including the demolition of buildings and the superposition of other constructional elements. The only preserved medieval remains are a church with a nave; the adjacent structures are more recent. This preliminary data prompted a research project to shed new light on the as yet unknown history of the medieval monastery. Specifically, a remote sensing approach around the monastery including aerial survey by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and geomagnetic survey in gradiometric configuration (MAG), was adopted in order to verify the possible existence of buried masonry structures and other possible features of archaeological interest, including channels and aqueducts. The GPR time slices were constructed from closely spaced parallel profiles. The time slices, computed by averaging radar reflections over vertical time windows several nanoseconds thick, are used to map subsoil features associated with the structures, probably of anthropogenic origin. To facilitate the interpretation of the results, a threedimensional image was constructed using closely spaced parallel profiles, which are linearly interpolated. The MAG survey was carried in gradiometer configuration, in order to study magnetic properties of the shallow subsoil. Ground-penetrating radar gives details about archaeological structures in a limited area where survey was possible, while gradiometer survey confirms GPR results and improves archaeological knowledge in the areas where GPR survey was impossible. This multi-sensor remote sensing program revealed a wide variety of archaeological features of interest, which may be targeted accurately with excavations in the future.

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Magnetometric and ground penetrating radar investigations in the Aegyssus archaeologic site

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-3031 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sorin Anghel ◽

Andrei Gabriel Dragos ◽

Gabriel Iordache ◽

Ioan Cornel Pop

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Building Materials ◽

Vertical Direction ◽

Archaeological Site ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Magnetic Sensors ◽

Urban Life ◽

Geophysical Investigation ◽

The North ◽

Ground Penetrating

The Aegyssus archaeological site is located on the Monument Hill in the North-Eastern section of Tulcea, the fortress was built at the end of the 4th&#160;century B.C. Its name, of Celtic origin, derived from a legendary founder,&#160;Caspios Aegyssos. At the beginning of 2nd&#160;century, the town was included in the Danubian&#160;limes&#160;(boundary). Then, starting with the 3rd&#160;century, it became an important military headquarters. The 6th&#160;century finds it as an episcopal residence. Urban life knows an end in the first quarter of the 7th&#160;century and a revival in the 10th&#160;and 11th&#160;centuries.The geophysical investigation has been performed by means of the integrated use of three different high resolution and non invasive geophysical techniques: magnetic mapping, ground penetrating radar profiling (GPR) and magnetic susceptibility measurements.Magnetic and ground penetrating radar methods are widely used for archaeological prospecting as very effective methods able to detect buried structures at small depths. These methods were applied for the investigation of two perimeters within the site of the ancient city of Aegyssus, an ancient Roman fortress from North Dobrudja, Romania, which was built in the first century. The primary objective was to determine the extension in the underground of a partially excavated wall. The maximum magnetic anomalies revealed the possible location of the buried wall.The magnetometric investigation has been carried out using a protonic magnetometer G-856 GEOMETRICS in gradiometric mode, with the two magnetic sensors set in a vertical direction separated by a distance of 1 m.A total of 20 ground penetrating radar profiles were acquired with 250 MHz antenna aiming in identifying geological and archaeological anomalies in order to assist archaeologists in an excavation program.The GPR results indicated clear geophysical anomalies characterized by hyperbolic reflections. These anomalies were confirmed by the excavation of test units, allowing the identification anthropogenic features such as a fire-hearth structure and wooden artifact, and natural features.The results showed the efficiency of GPR and magnetometric methods in identifying potential buried archaeological targets, and they are oriented towards reducing costs and increasing the probability of finding archaeological targets.Our geophysical results helped to define spatial pattern of the buried remains, to define the geometry of the anthropogenic settlements and to obtain detailed information about the composition and the manufacturing processes of different building materials.This work was supported by Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation through the Project &#8220;Fluvimar&#8221; (Program 1. Development of the National Research-Development System. Subprogram 1.2. Institutional Performance) and Core Programme PN 19 20 05 01.&#160;

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Remote Sensing of a Roman Pottery Workshop. Report on a Geophysical Survey Carried out in Crikvenica (Ancient Ad Turres, Croatia)

Studia Quaternaria ◽

10.1515/squa-2017-0010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 119-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fabian Welc ◽

Goranka Lipovac Vrkljan ◽

Ana Konestra ◽

Tea Rosić

Keyword(s):

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Geophysical Survey ◽

Anthropogenic Activity ◽

The North ◽

Magnetic Methods ◽

North Eastern ◽

Underground Infrastructure ◽

Ancient Times ◽

Ground Penetrating ◽

North Western

Abstract The paper presents results of a geophysical survey conducted in Crikvenica, a town located at the north-eastern Adriatic Sea coast in Croatia. The main aim was to identify extent of a Roman pottery workshop discovered to the north of the present town, at the site known as “Igralište”. The performed magnetic and GPR surveys within the area of the modern playground in Crikvenica revealed a large number of anomalies that may be connected with anthropogenic activity during different periods, both in modern and ancient times. The first group consists of anomalies generated by remnants of the modern underground infrastructure. Magnetic and ground-penetrating radar maps revealed anomalies in the north-western part of the modern playground that can be very likely interpreted as remains of a large ceramic kiln dated back to the Roman Period, similar to the kiln discovered during the excavations located further to the north. Finally, the survey performed within the Crikvenica football stadium clearly indicates that the integration of different Ground Penetrating Radar and magnetic methods allows for a detailed and effective identification of buried archaeological structures in large areas.

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