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Southeastern Section - 50th Annual Meeting (April 5-6, 2001)

Paper No. 0
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURE CHARACTERIZATION AT THE FORMER AUGUSTA ARSENAL, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA WITH THE AID OF A PORTABLE-CESIUM MAGNETOMETER


CAPPS, Richard C.1, MURPHY, Christopher P.2 and WILEY, Samantha L.2, (1)Dept. of Physics and Chemistry, Augusta State Univ, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904, (2)Department of History and Anthropology, Augusta State Univ, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904, ccapps@aug.edu

Recent archaeological studies at the 70 acre urban campus of Augusta State University, site of the former Augusta Arsenal, finds multiple magnetic anomalies coincident with known, partially known, and probable historic as well as recent cultural features. A single sensor portable-cesium magnetometer (Geometrics 858) aids in locating and defining known and unknown cultural features. Recent cultural features with magnetic signatures such as bricks, conduits, and sidewalks are differentiated from the older historic features and Cretaceous and Tertiary nonindurated sediments.

Magnetic highs generally range from 1,000 to 5,000 nT above a background of about 45,000 to 50,000 nT and are mostly associated with ferrous metal objects within former refuse pits, along fence lines, and in graves within a military cemetery. A wide variety of ferrous metal artifacts are found, and these include architectural and construction materials, domestic utensils, machine tool parts, barrel hoops, containers, and fasteners. The two largest refuse pits are about 11 m by 13 m and 8 m by 30 m and are up to 2.5 m deep. Additional refuse pits could be located within nearby areas of unknown or provisional archaeological potential because magnetic highs with similar magnitude and physical dimensions are identified.

The portable cesium magnetometer supports traditional archaeological techniques as a rapid noninvasive preliminary survey tool. Surveys at the Augusta Arsenal, which ranged from about 8 m by 8 m to 18 by 27 m on 0.6 m line intervals, were each collected in under one hour which includes the time required to establish the survey grid and position geotechnical assistants. The sensor was typically positioned about 0.6 m above the ground. One instrument operator and two assistants were used in all surveys.

Future excavations are planned to identify the cultural features associated with unknown magnetic anomalies found during this study.

Session No. 23--Booth# 2

Archaeological Geology (Posters)
Friday, 6 April 2001: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 33, No. 2, March 2001
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