Geophysical survey in Greece: recent developments, discoveries and future prospects

Extract

Geophysics has emerged as a significant and primary tool of archaeological research in Greece. It is no longer marginalized to a supporting role for excavations and pedestrian surveying, but has developed into a fundamental method of investigating layers of cultural heritage in its own right. This can be explained varyingly, from the increasingly holistic nature of archaeological fieldwork, to a broader appreciation of the diverse applications of geophysics to characterize historical contexts, the unique range of site assessment offered by geophysics and the capacity of geophysics to explore the subsurface in challenging conditions. Technology too plays a vital role. New generations of equipment have the ability to map archaeological features in high resolution, in rapid sequence and oftentimes in 3D. Geophysics along with other non-invasive methods, like satellite and airborne remote sensing, has also gained wider traction because of concerns about the costs, impacts and time horizons of traditional fieldwork practices. This brief report highlights some of the recent developments and applications of geophysical survey in Greece. It is not meant to be an inclusive account or an evaluation of each geophysical technique; instead, it emphasizes current trends in this important and expanding field of research and touches upon its future prospects in the country.