Novel Combined Approach of GIS and Electrical Tomography to Identify Marsh/Lake at Kastrouli Late Mycenaean Settlement (Desfina, Greece)
Ioannis Liritzis,
Niki Evelpidou,
Ilias Fikos,
Alexandros Stambolidis,
Nectaria Diamanti,
Theano Roussari,
Maria Tzouxanioti,
Prodromos Louvaris,
Gregorios N. Tsokas
Affiliations
Ioannis Liritzis
Laboratory of Yellow River Cultural Heritage, Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Minglun Road 85, Kaifeng 475001, China
Niki Evelpidou
Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
Ilias Fikos
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexandros Stambolidis
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nectaria Diamanti
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Theano Roussari
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Tzouxanioti
Department of Archaeology, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
Prodromos Louvaris
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Gregorios N. Tsokas
Exploration Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Geology, Division of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
The Kastrouli Late Bronze settlement in Phocis province, central Greece, has been proved to have been an important center in the periphery of the Mycenaean palaces. It was reused at least partially and was cultivated until the 20th century. The presence of a flat area off the Kastrouli hill and the seasonal flooding nowadays led to the present investigation, questioning the formation of an ancient lake or marsh/swamp. A methodological approach was applied combining the digital elevation model (DEM) and GIS of the wider and confined area, examining slopes between 0 and 5 degrees (0 and 8.75%), with electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) traverses of around 300 and 500 m, reaching a depth of 100 m. The ERT data were rapidly collected on profiles and provided a cross-sectional (2D) plot. It was found that, in the area, there is a basin with a length of 100 m and a depth of around 40–50 m. The sedimentation process over the millennia has filled the basin, with the upper 5–6 m surface layers of the area having a low resistivity. The presence of two natural sinkholes with apparent engineered hydraulic works is noted to conform to drainage and produce a habitable environment, protecting the cultivated land and avoiding a swamp associated with health issues.
