GEOPHYSICAL APPLICATIONS IN ARCHAEOLOGY:
A Workshop sponsored by the California Office of
Historic Preservation
April 30-May 4, 2012
In recent years, the trend toward increasingly focused research
designs, the costs and time wasted on random sampling, and concerns over the
unnecessary disturbance of primary archaeological resources have resulted in the
increased use of a number of geophysical methods to investigate and
interpret archaeological sites in many parts of the world. Such methods provide
a focused cost and time effective means of collecting information for the
archaeologist, satisfy Native American concerns over site disturbance, and
serve as a valuable planning and protective tool for resource managers. This
five-day workshop will address three of the most useful geophysical
methods---magnetic gradient survey, electrical resistance survey, and ground
penetrating radar (GPR). A day will be devoted to each method, both in practical
data collection in the field and in theoretical lectures. Participants
will have ample time for hands-on experience with the equipment. The last 1.5
days will be spent in processing and interpreting the collected data.
Each method is optimal for certain conditions and has it own limitations, so a
mixed media strategy will be used to extract as much information from the
site as possible. The workshop is an outgrowth of a similar program offered
for decades by the National Park Service each year at various locations in the
Midwest. Dr. Lewis Somers and David Maki of GeoScan
Research/ArchaeoPhysics, who are experienced in such surveys for archaeologists in many parts of
the world, will teach this workshop at Mission San Antonio de Padua, an
historic Spanish mission site in southern Monterey County. Dr. Robert L.
Hoover, who has conducted research on site for 30 years, will orient and
introduce the class and assist in the interpretation. This is not a course in
archaeological excavation or artifact recovery. Participants will stay in
comfortable rooms on site and be fed communally as part of the cost of the program.
The workshop will be of interest to all archaeologists, Native American
monitors, and agency managers, as well as others. Space is limited. Contact
Dr. Robert L. Hoover, 1144 Buchon Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, (805)
544-0176, <[log in to unmask]>, concerning costs and reservations.
Don’t miss this exicting opportunity for professional development that
could enhance your future work!
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