Services Provided
Geoarcheology Research Associates, Inc. (GRA) has expanded its strategies for subsurface testing with the application of a variety of remote sensing methods. We are equipped to perform both passive and active remote sensing utilizing magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar. Analysis of field data is conducted using diverse software that facilitates the transfer of recorded information into visually informative maps. The objective is to isolate areas with the greatest archaeological potential. Remote sensing technology is rapidly complementing traditional Phase I survey in an effort to optimize initial archeological exploration.
The image at right depicts a team member involved in a GRA remote sensing project where a 34 acre unexplored tract situated between documented segments of a late prehistoric village was systematically surveyed to test for buried cultural features. Ground Penetrating Radar and magnetometer data were compared with construction plans, historic maps, and Cultural Resources Management reports to filter out signals and shapes of construction disturbance and utilities. It was then possible to localize a series of remote sensing "signatures" that were diagnostic of smaller scale disruptions distinct from major landscape changes. Processing these data produced a plot of potentially sensitive archeological loci. Ground truthing of these loci revealed a series of features (post holes, pits, activity areas) that located the portion of the tract most intensively used in the prehistoric past. The strategy provided direction to archeological exploration in a cost-effective and scientific manner.
Remote Sensing
Geoarcheology Research Associates, Inc. (GRA) has expanded its strategies for subsurface testing with the application of a variety of remote sensing methods. We are equipped to perform both passive and active remote sensing utilizing magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar. Analysis of field data is conducted using diverse software that facilitates the transfer of recorded information into visually informative maps. The objective is to isolate areas with the greatest archaeological potential. Remote sensing technology is rapidly complementing traditional Phase I survey in an effort to optimize initial archeological exploration.
The image at right depicts a team member involved in a GRA remote sensing project where a 34 acre unexplored tract situated between documented segments of a late prehistoric village was systematically surveyed to test for buried cultural features. Ground Penetrating Radar and magnetometer data were compared with construction plans, historic maps, and Cultural Resources Management reports to filter out signals and shapes of construction disturbance and utilities. It was then possible to localize a series of remote sensing "signatures" that were diagnostic of smaller scale disruptions distinct from major landscape changes. Processing these data produced a plot of potentially sensitive archeological loci. Ground truthing of these loci revealed a series of features (post holes, pits, activity areas) that located the portion of the tract most intensively used in the prehistoric past. The strategy provided direction to archeological exploration in a cost-effective and scientific manner.
