"Archaeogeophysical" Research... Ugh, I Hate That Word!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Keywords: geophysics, prospection techniques, etymology, roots and prefixes
Various prospection techniques, adapted from geophysical surveying, have been invaluable in archaeology. It is hard to overstate the effects that surveying techniques -- electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and ground-penetrating radar, for instance -- have had on archaeological research and excavation... But I really don't like the word "archaeogeophysics" at all. Sorry. Fortunately, I saw it only once at SAA in Vancouver: there was a poster titled "Archaeogeophysics at Etowah Indian Mounds State Park." Why do I not like this term? First, it sounds too much like a buzzword that is trying too hard to be interdisciplinary. Second, geophysics is a huge field, and most archaeologists only make use of the subsurface exploration methods, so they really should mention "geophysical prospection" or "geophysical surveys." Third, the subfields of geophysics don't follow this naming pattern. There isn't seismogeophysics, geothermogeophysics, or minerogeophysics -- there is just seismology, geothermometry, and mineral physics. Lastly, the word "archaeogeophysics" isn't etymologically correct. "Geo-" means "earth" so "geophysics" means "earth physics," which is an accurate description of the field: study of the earth using various physical methods. Adding "archaeo-," meaning "ancient," would then modify "geophyiscs." Accordingly, the term "archaeogeophysics" should mean "ancient geophyiscs," not the archaeological applications of geophyiscs. This interpretation is consistent with the terms archaeomineralogy and archaeometallurgy. George "Rip" Rapp coined the term "archaeomineralogy" in his book with that title. It isn't a book about using modern mineralogy to address archaeological questions. Instead, it's a book about the uses of and conceptions about minerals in the past, from prehistory until the 17th century. Likewise, "archaeometallurgy" is the study of past metallurgical knowledge and techniques, from ancient to historical times. What alternative do I propose? Either use just "geophysics" (there's nothing wrong with that) or "archaeological geophysics" (which still includes the interdisciplinary focus). Anyway, below is a recent article that uses the term "archaeogeophysics" abundantly...
Above: Stacked data from several prospection techniques (microtopography, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and fluxgate gradiometry) of a mound in Ireland. Credit: National University of Ireland.
Excerpts from Mehr News:
Iranian and French Experts Team Up for Archaeogeophysical Studies
A joint team of Iranian and French experts have recently resumed archaeogeophysical studies in Pasargadae in Iran’s southern Fars Province.
The studies, which constitute a new joint endeavor on the part of the Archaeological Research Center of Iran, the Parseh and Pasargadae Research Foundation and France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (National Scientific Research Center, CNRS), aim to make new demarcations for the city of Pasargadae and will also entail in-depth research on the ancient Achaemenid capital.
“These studies are more significant than previous projects,” Iranian team director Kurosh Mohammadkhani told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.
“In the past research has centered on the buildings used for royal activities, but this joint team plans to survey the areas around the royal structures by using archaeogeophysical methods,” he added.
The team is also scheduled to scrutinize the Achaemenid irrigation system located on the Morghab plain and, in addition, to examine an ancient stone canal linked to a small dam near the village of Shahidabad. The investigation will also verify the materials, which include limestone, used in the main structure of the canal and the type of braces used to hold the sections together, he explained.
It is hoped that the fieldwork will shed light on whether the water barrier is an Achaemenid structure or a relic of subsequent eras. The team also plans to determine precisely how the canal functioned and its original purpose, Mohammadkhani noted. . .
To read the rest of the article, visit the Mehr News website:
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Blog Author: Ellery Frahm