NEWS
| Project | Geomagnetic prospection at the kurgan of Barsučij Log near Moskovskoe |
| Location | Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, Russian Federation |
| Period | Tagar culture, 5th to 3rd century BC |
| Methods | Geomagnetics, Microtopographical survey |
| Client | German Archaeological Institute, Berlin Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger |
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| Topographic survey of a Kurgan in Southern Siberia |
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OBJECTIVES Prior to a large excavation a geomagnetic prospection in the surrounding area of Kurgan Barsučij Log was intended. The excavation of a pyramid-shaped mound with a side length of 55 m and height of 10 m will produces an amount of approx. 7500 cubic metres of dug out material that needs a place to be stored at. To avoid the loss and damage of possible finds by covering it with excavation material, the storage area should be mapped systematically . This way potential traces of the burial ceremonial can be detected and protected.
Survey AND RESULTS
The geomagnetic survey with a fluxgate-array provided very high resolution images. This is mainly due to the dense profile grid choosen. An additionally 3D topographic survey was necessary for hill flanks to project accurately the magnetic data on the terrain . Additional investigations were carried out by our cooperation partners from Novosibirsk. The Russian geophysicists applied EM technologies, which included the induction of electromagnetic fields at variable frequencies to obtain different depths of penetration.
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| Calibration of a electromagnetic instruments by Russian colleagues from Novosibirsk |
Geomagnetic and topografic survey add different aspects to the pool of information. By combining the two datasets a very precise interpretation of surface features and magnetic anomalies is possible. Thereby the topographic survey helps to distinguish between archaeologically relevant magnetic anomalies and topographic effects that appear in the magnetic data. The geomagnetic survey helps to detect buried structures as well as it contributes to clarify the correct formation of outcropping archaeological structures. With the help of the geomagnetic data e.g. it was possible to reinterpret an expected circular feature surrounding the kurgan to be a square building structure (see figure below).
Kurgan Barsučij Log - Digital terrain model overlaid with geomagnetic map.
Anomalies caused by looting and the square enclosure are visible.
Contact Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger (hp@dainst.de )
Dipl.-Geophys. Burkart Ullrich (b.ullrich@eastern-atlas.de )
LINKS UIGGM - the Institute of Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science in Novosibirsk
(http://www.uiggm.nsc.ru )
Results of the archaeological excavations on the webspace of the German Archaeological Institute
http://www.dainst.org