Archaeological Investigations

Due to its high spatial resolution and the fast measuring progress, GPR is well-suited for mapping extensive areas for buried archaeological objects. Figure 1 shows the result of GPR measurements over a deserted mediaeval town. The town of Nienover (county Northeim, Lower Saxony) has been build during the late 12th century and deserted in the second half of the 13th century. Since that time, the area has not been colonised and the town was discovered in modern times. Thus, systematic research can be done on a small town from the High Middle Ages. The relicts (cellars, basements, streets and the city wall fortification) are nowadays covered by soil and can be found in a depth of 0.3 – 1.5 m. The Figure shows three horizontal slices at different depths of a 50 m x 50 m large area.

The upper slice is affected by the surface conditions of the area, e.g. footpaths, tractor tracks or unequal height of the grass. The effects of different antenna coupling to the ground can be recognised in the data even in deeper depths. The middle slice corresponds to a depth of approximately 0.8 m. Diverse relicts of buildings can be seen, e.g. at -1090/-2135. The deepest slice (1.5 m) shows the run of the former main street of the town.