Magnetometric prospection of various types of large ditched enclosures in Bohemia

Abstract

A systematic combination of aerial and subsequent geophysical surveys over the six years of the 'Settlement Patterns in Prehistoric Bohemia'project yielded much new and often surprising information about the nature of archaeological sites, features and locations in the agricultural lowlands of Bohemia. Newly discovered and verified large ditches represent a group of very diverse and often, in Bohemian archaeology, atypical linear features. The results of large-area magnetometric surveys aided in mappinglocationsmore preciselyandin the overall separation of linear features, as well asin choosing among probable archaeological interpretations of the sites. Future archaeological verification of more of these identified atypical situations by test trenches would provide more precise dating, and perhaps unambiguous interpretations of prehistoric sites.

Cropmarks in main field crops enable the identification of a wide spectrum of buried features on archaeological sites in Central Europe

“…In the Czech Republic, the thickness of the humus rich arable layer is normally 20e30 cm, and the humus rich infill of ditches, normally ancient arable soil from the surroundings mixed with nutrient rich wastes, can be over 2 m in the case of military or ritual fortifications (Ha sek and Kovárník, 1999;K rivánek, 2006). This enables plants to create deep roots and to take up higher amounts of water and nutrients from the humus rich infill of ditches than from the undisturbed sub-soil in the surrounding.…”

Magnetometric prospection of various types of large ditched enclosures in Bohemia

“…These quick verifications of ditches by simple trenches helped in most cases to better estimate dates and to obtain more likely interpretations of the features; the application of the same method in future would be most efficient in cases of such atypical linear features. The 10 examples ( Figure 1) (Křivánek, 2003a).…”

Application of geophysical methods for monitoring of surface and subsurface changes of origin archaeological terrains &ndahs; case studies of sites in the Czech Republic

“…Possibilities of different geophysical methods were for example tested in project "The Identification of Destroyed Fortifications and Internal Structure of Settlement of Hillforts" -PK99P04OPP007 -Monument care department of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Křivánek 1999-2001(Křivánek, 2000, 2001. Many of newly identified sites from aerial prospection were surveyed during project "Prehistoric Settlement Pattern in Bohemia -The potential of nondestructive archaeology" -404/97/K024 -Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, Gojda et al 1997-2002(Křivánek, 2003, 2006, Gojda et al, 2004, Kuna et al, 2004. Terrains of Celtic oppida were systematically monitored during project "Geophysical survey in archaeologically uninvestigated parts of Czech oppida" -A8002301 -the Grant Agency of the Academy of the Sciences of the Czech Republic, Křivánek et al 2003-2007(Křivánek, 2005, 2008, Křivánek, Danielisová, Drda, 2013.…”