NEW METHODS AND LEARNING STRATEGIES: A SUBSURFACE ARCHAEOGEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AND MAPPING COURSE

One of the fastest-growing areas of geoarchaeological fieldwork is the increasing use of subsurface archaeogeophysical survey techniques to map ancient remains without excavation. Growing interest in this technology, coupled with the availability of commercial data collectors tailored to archaeological needs, presents a challenge to educators. Specifically, this challenge is to create an integrated, interdisciplinary, active learning curriculum that provides students with: 1) a competent theoretical understanding of basic geophysical processes underlying these survey techniques; 2) an appreciation of the implications such technologies have for research design and methodology and 3) a working knowledge of appropriate mapping and imaging theory and technology.

Using funding from the National Science Foundation Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program, we developed a new interdisciplinary course (and supporting laboratory facility) in Archaeogeophysical Surveying and Mapping. This course was designed to provide students with a collaborative, hands-on learning experience using cutting-edge technology and innovative pedagogy. It was taught for the first time in Spring 2002, focusing on these outcomes through a cooperative effort between the departments of Geology, Archaeology and Geography. The course featured hands-on instruction in electrical resistivity and magnetic gradiometric survey techniques as well as image processing. We had ten students enrolled, all with differing backgrounds and academic status (i.e. undergraduates and graduates). We divided the course into two parts: 1) Fundamental Principles of Archaeogeophysical Mapping and 2) Student Field Projects. The student field projects were conducted in groups. Each group was assigned a project area. The groups were responsible for preparing a project proposal and presentation, conducting appropriate fieldwork, and processing the data collected. The groups presented their results orally and as a website. Through this cooperative learning experience, geoscience students were able to gain theoretical knowledge of the shallow subsubsurface exploration geophysical principles as well as practical application on a real world problem. These skills can be used in environmental geology as well as geoarchaeology.