Soil-based analysis methods to aid the detection of cropmarks over buried features
Without contention, aerial surveying has been one of the most fundamental and effective tools in archaeological research. The mapping of cropmarks using aerial surveys, which appear over buries features, has revealed tens of thousands of new archaeological sites in Britain in the last few years. Cropmarks have most commonly been found when the weather is dry and in areas where soils drain quickly, causing crops to come under stress due to a lack of water. This knowledge informs archaeologists in the planning of surveys. However, targeting these areas in dry conditions introduces bias into the dataset and the rate of new discoveries is slowing. This research assesses the underlying geotechnical characteristics of soils within and adjacent to buried ditches at four field trial sites, to increase the understanding of why these cropmarks form and the conditions in which they appear. Analysis methods using existing archaeological and geotechnical data have been proposed to increase the knowledge of the conditions in which cropmarks form. The methods have been tested and the results showed that cropmarks formed in areas of clay-dominated soils in wet conditions, and cropmarks were recorded across a much wider range
Pring, Lleyton James
GA Mathematical geography. Cartography ; GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography ; QE Geology
Soil-based analysis methods to aid the detection of cropmarks over buried features. Without contention, aerial surveying has been one of the most fundamental and effective tools in archaeological research. The mapping of cropmarks using aerial surveys, which appear over buries features, has revealed tens of thousands of new archaeological sites in Britain in the last few years. Cropmarks have most commonly been found when the weather is dry and in areas where soils drain quickly, causing crops to come under stress due to a lack of water. This knowledge informs archaeologists in the planning of surveys. However, targeting these areas in dry conditions introduces bias into the dataset and the rate of new discoveries is slowing. This research assesses the underlying geotechnical characteristics of soils within and adjacent to buried ditches at four field trial sites, to increase the understanding of why these cropmarks form and the conditions in which they appear. Analysis methods using existing archaeological and geotechnical data have been proposed to increase the knowledge of the conditions in which cropmarks form. The methods have been tested and the results showed that cropmarks formed in areas of clay-dominated soils in wet conditions, and cropmarks were recorded across a much wider range
soil based_analysis method aid detection cropmarks bury feature without contention aerial survey one_fundamental effective tool archaeological_research map cropmarks use aerial survey appear feature reveal new archaeological_site britain cropmarks commonly_find weather dry area soil quickly cause crop come stress due_lack water knowledge informs archaeologists plan survey however target area dry condition introduces bias dataset rate new discovery slow ass underlie characteristic soil within adjacent bury ditch field trial site increase cropmarks form condition appear analysis method_use exist archaeological data propose increase_knowledge condition cropmarks form method test show cropmarks form area clay dominated soil wet condition cropmarks record across much wider_range