Module overview
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- specific types of geophysical survey equipment, and understand their application and limitations in the field.
- Ability to recognise sites and monuments, their relationship to one another and their landscape context.
- relevant computer software to process and publish survey results to publication standard.
- current best practice in archaeological fieldwork.
- how to produce final survey plots and written interpretation to publication standard.
- the basic theoretical concepts of geophysical survey techniques, and how these theories are applied practically in the field.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Be able to interpret the archaeological significance of anomalies located in your survey results
- Use key geophysical survey equipment in an archaeological context
- Be capable of assessing the most appropriate method for survey of a site
- Use tapes or a total station to grid out a survey area
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Understand the basic theoretical and practical elements of geophysical survey in archaeology
- Assess the nature and extent of particular sites or monuments within their landscape context, and calculate the most suitable survey method to discover more about the nature, dimensions and structure of a site
- Produce a final report on a survey, together with recommendations for future assessment based on valued reasoning from the results of your work and your background knowledge of the techniques used and their implications
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Produce archaeological interpretations of data, and write full reports on the findings of geophysical surveys
- Undertake geophysical surveys using Resistivity, Magnetometry, Ground Penetrating Radar and magnetic susceptibility methods
- Process and produce images of geophysical survey results
- Place your results within the context of map data using computer applications
Syllabus
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Supervised time in studio/workshop | 10 |
| Wider reading or practice | 20 |
| Fieldwork | 40 |
| Lecture | 20 |
| Completion of assessment task | 40 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 20 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
Spoerry, P. (1992). The Archaeologist and Geoprospection. Archaeological Landscape, 18, pp. 115-119.
Schurr, M. R. (1997). Using the Concept of the Learning Curve to Increase the Productivity of Geophysical Surveys. Archaeological Prospection, 4, pp. 69-83.
Gaffney, C. and Gater, J. (1993). Development of Remote Sensing Part II: Practice and method in the application of geophysical techniques in archaeology. Archaeological Resource Management in the U.K..
Clark, A. J. (1986). Archaeological Geophysics in Britain. Geophysics, 51(7), pp. 1404-1413.
Textbooks
David, A (1995). Geophysical Survey in Archaeological Field Evaluation. English Heritage Research and Professional Services Guidelines 1.
Scollar, Tabbagh, Hesse, and Herzog (1990). Archaeological Prospecting and Remote Sensing. Cambridge: Cambridge University.
Gaffney, C. and Gater, J. (2003). Revealing the Buried Past: Geophysics for Archaeologists. Stroud: Tempus.
Bowden, M. (Ed.) (1999). Unravelling the Landscape.. Stroud: Tempus.
Clark, A. (1990). Seeing Beneath the Soil. London: Batsford.
Gaffney, C., Gater, J., Ovenden, S. (1991). The Use of Geophysical Survey Techniques in Archaeological Evaluations. Institute of Field Archaeologists.
Telford, W. M. (1990). Applied Geophysics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Assessments designed to provide informal, on-module feedback Monitoring and feedback on work produced during lectures and practicals Tuition, assessment and feedback on elements of practical survey during field weekFormative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Class Exercise
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Verbal feedback in lessons and practicals
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Field project | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External