Geophysical Prospection in Mountain Archaeology

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the use of geophysical survey methods for archaeological prospection in mountain landscapes. Geophysical prospection, initially used as an approach for geological and mineral exploration in mountain areas, increasingly becomes a component also in smaller-scale archaeological studies of past human activity. As the archaeology of mountain landscapes is closely related to the exploration of natural resources, geophysical methods can thus provide unique perspectives by integrating different scales of research. These include large-scale topics such as landscape-formation processes and the effects of natural disasters, as well as site-oriented studies of settlements, functional zones, and symbolic places. As the applications and scales of geophysical research are wide-ranging, the chapter first discusses the technical requirements and distinctive characteristics of geophysical methods with regard to their use in mountainous regions. It focuses on the most commonly used methods in archaeological prospection—magnetometry, resistivity and ground-penetrating radar, but also discusses complementary methods. The second part of the chapter highlights the variety of applications of geophysical survey techniques in mountain archaeology, illustrated with case studies from mountain ranges across the globe. This section is structured along four broad research topics: landscape processes; resource extraction and mining; human occupation including seasonal camps, defensive structures, symbolic places, and caves; and prospection in ice and permafrost. Rather than providing instructions on a ‘best practice’ of geophysical surveys in the mountains, we aim to present the versatility of geophysical applications within archaeological research of steep and remote terrain.