High Resolution Magnetometry

Our joint research project (Peshdar Plain Project Publications 2016) in north-western Iraqi-Kurdistan has shed new light on a hitherto little known eastern frontier region of the Assyrian Empire, specifically the Border March of the Palace Herald at the border with the kingdoms of Mannea and Ḫubuškia. Gird-i Bazar is the first unequivocally Neo-Assyrian site to be excavated in the region. The occupation layers beginning to be uncovered here offer the rare opportunity, firstly, to explore a decidedly non-elite settlement of the Neo-Assyrian period, secondly, to further our understanding of how the Assyrian Empire organized its frontier zone and, thirdly, to synchronize the Western Iranian pottery cultures (with the key sites Hasanlu, Godin Tepe, Nush-i Jan, and Baba Jan) with the Assyrian ceramic material of the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Karen Radner analysed the Neo-Assyrian textual sources (clay tablets) discovered on the site in 2013, which indicate that as part of the Border March of the Palace Herald, the Peshdar Plain was located directly on the empire’s frontier with Mannea and Ḫubuškia.

Exploration of oil reservoirs in the world is almost completely done. This has led researchers to think about new methods for exploration with techniques using advanced geophysical, geochemical, remote sensing and etc. The new method can be used to explore oil and gas reservoirs which is named “Micromagnetic”. Geochemical anomalies arises from the interaction of reservoirs mentioned above. The purpose of this method is different with conventional geomagnetic surveys. In fact, in micromagnetic method, stable or unstable magnetic minerals formed in the surface soil and even rock alteration in the migration of hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon seepage from leaking to the surface are detects and so the relevant anomalies are recognized. This method is limited to use in some parts of the world and is still under investigation and research.

Cite as: Bonsall, J., Gaffney, C. and Armit, I. 2013. Back and forth: paving the way forward by assessing 10 years of geophysical surveys on Irish road schemes. In Futures and Pasts: archaeological science on Irish road schemes (eds. Kelly, B., Roycroft, N. & Stanley, M.). NRA Monograph.

Geophysical surveys have played an important role in the discovery of archaeological sites on Irish national road schemes. The National Roads Authority has recently funded a Research Fellowship to critically review all of the archaeological geophysical surveys conducted on such schemes between 2001 and 2010. The review, which is being carried out by the University of Bradford and its industrial partner Earthsound Archaeological Geophysics, has reappraised the success or otherwise of these geophysical assessments and has suggested ways to enhance the effectiveness of future surveys on NRA-funded roads.