Going High-Tech to Locate Ohio's Past: Geophysics and the Archaeology Revolution

Going High-Tech to Locate Ohio's Past: Geophysics and the Archaeology Revolution

Archaeologists love to dig in the dirt, but there is nothing worse than not finding anything after a hard day of excavation. This is why they are always trying to figure out how to dig in just the right place to locate what they are after. Geophysical survey instruments can do just that—they can look into the ground, without digging, and locate buried archaeological features like cooking pits, foundations, wells, and graves. Geophysics is revolutionizing the way that archaeology is done in Ohio, finding things that we never knew were there. In this presentation Dr. Jarrod Burks, the Director of Archaeological Geophysics at Ohio Valley Archaeology, explores how various types of geophysical instruments work and some of the fascinating things that he has found with them on sites in Ohio. From old church foundations and buried wells to ancient earthworks and 3000 year-old earth ovens, geophysical surveys are helping archaeologists rediscover Ohio’s rich history.

Links & Tags

Fort Ancient

Going High-Tech to Locate Ohio's Past: Geophysics and the Archaeology Revolution is taking place at Fort Ancient, which is located at 6123 St. Rt. 350 in Oregonia. Fort Ancient - Fort Ancient offers a day of enjoyment for the entire family. Visitors can learn about Ohio's rich prehistoric and historic past by exploring the 9,000 square foot exhibit space that depicts three major technological themes spanning over 12,000 years. - read more