Geophysical and Geochemical Proxies of Neolithic Sites from Thessaly: A Comparative Study on the Potential of Soil Magnetic Susceptibility and Phosphate Analyses for Minimally Invasive Location and Interpretation of Buried Features
Carmen Cuenca-García,
Elina Aidona,
Clare Wilson,
Abir Jrad,
Apostolos Sarris
Affiliations
Carmen Cuenca-García
Department of Archaeology & Cultural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes Gate 47B, 7012 Trondheim, Norway
Elina Aidona
Department of Geophysics, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Clare Wilson
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Abir Jrad
Laboratory of Georesources, Water Researches and Technologies Center (CERTE), Technopole of Borj-Cedria, BP 273, Soliman 8020, Tunisia
Apostolos Sarris
Dig Humanities Geo Informatics Lab, Sylvia Ioannou Chair on Digital Humanities, Archaeological Research Unit, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
This paper presents the results of a study exploring the potential of magnetic-susceptibility and phosphate soil analyses to locate and characterize buried Neolithic settlements in Thessaly, Greece. Using the preliminary results of large-area magnetometer surveys, soil samples were collected at three well-known sites along exploratory lines and augers targeting the locations of possible features of interest, including habitational structures and enclosures. The results demonstrated the capability of these analyses to detect the sites, outline hotspots and better interpret the features identified in the magnetometer results.
