Discovery, mapping and interpretation of buried cultural resources non-invasively with ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar is an extremely useful tool for the mapping and interpretation of buried cultural remains within 2–3 metres of the surface, especially when the stratigraphy is complex. Standard reflection profiles can be processed to correct for depth and distance, and also filtered and processed to make cultural features visible. When many profiles are collected in closely spaced transects in a grid, reflections can be re-sampled and displayed in amplitude slice-maps, and isosurface renderings to make buried features visible. Sometimes, however, the abundance and complexity of subsurface reflections is so complex that each individual profile must be interpreted manually, which necessitates an understanding of radar wave propagation, reflection, refraction and attenuation in the ground. In order to differentiate reflections from cultural features this understanding of radar energy must be merged with an understanding of the chemistry of the ground, soil and geological stratigraphy, and how those variables affect radar reflections. When taken as a package of visualization tools, GPR can be used as an effective tool for interpreting aspects of history and culture at buried sites in ways not possible using traditional archaeological methods.