APPLIED GEOPHYSICS FOR ARCHAEOLOGY

The course has the declared objective of providing adequate knowledge on the use of the main techniques of non-invasive geophysical investigations in the application field, aimed at the reconstruction of the subsoil to highlight the existence of any anomalies related to the presence of buried structures, bringing contributions in the design, planning and construction phases of archaeological excavations. The use of geophysical methodologies varies according to the different lithological, topographic, morphological conditions present in the sites to be investigated and the target to be discovered, so it is essential to achieve a good knowledge of the investigation methodologies. This will allow you to acquire a whole series of skills that will allow you to be in a position to select the geophysical methodology that best suits you, for the intended purpose and its application capacity.

Geolectric Methods: The electrical resistivity of rocks. Archie's formula. Instrumentation for geoelectric surveys. Energizing section. Receiving section. Signal acquisition in cases of low signal/noise ratio. Resistivity method. Electrode devices. Resistivity profiles and surveys. The acquisition of data in the countryside. Data analysis and interpretation. The use of software for inversion and interpretation. Maps of apparent resistivity, pseudosections. Reconstruction of the substrate and choice of the most appropriate geoelectric quadripole for archaeological surveys. Choice of methodologies to be used in the countryside for the optimization of surveys. 2D and 3D electrical tomography. Case study.

Active and passive seismic methods: Principles of elasticity theory. Elastic constants. Wave equation. Volume waves and surface waves. Wave propagation. Snell's law. Fermat's principle. Seismic instrumentation. Seismic sources. Campaign methods in refractive seismics. Choice of methodologies to be used in the countryside for the optimization of investigations for the identification and delimitation of crypts and / or buried cavities. Seismic tomography. Effects due to heterogeneity, geometric and topographic irregularities caused by the presence of cavities through the application of Nakamura's technique or spectral ratios (HVSR).

Electromagnetic Methods: The Ground Penetrating Radar (georadar). Features of the tool and principles. Configuration of transmitting and receiving antennas. Choice of antenna frequency. Acquisition of radar profiles, processing and interpretation of data. Considerations and limits on prospecting G.P.R. Case study.

Notes on other geophysical methodologies such as magnetometry to define magnetic and gradient maps in order to outline the presence of archaeological remains; ultrasound to characterize and define the thicknesses and characteristics of structural elements.

Coco G., Corrao M. “Geofisica applicata con particolare riferimento alle prospezioni sismiche, elettriche, elettromagnetiche e geotermiche. Flaccovio Dario editore, pp. 240, 2009

Corrao M., Coco G. (2021): Geofisica Applicata - III edizione. Flaccovio Dario editore.

Federica Boschi 2020: “Archeologia senza scavo. Geofisica e indagini non invasive”, Bononia University Press.

 Che, ai sensi dell’art. 171 della legge 22 aprile 1941, n. 633 e successive disposizioni, fotocopiare libri in commercio, in misura superiore al 15% del volume o del fascicolo di rivista, è reato penale.

Per ulteriori informazioni sui vincoli e sulle sanzioni all’uso illecito di fotocopie, è possibile consultare le Linee guida sulla gestione dei diritti d’autore nelle università (a cura della Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno - AIDRO).

I testi di riferimento possono essere consultati in Biblioteca.