ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES DELINEATED BY GEOPHYSICAL METHODS AT SUNWATCH VILLAGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK, DAYTON, OHIO

From 2001 to present several MS students from Wright State University have conducted near-surface geophysical surveys at SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park in Dayton, Ohio. The main purpose of these surveys was to examine the effectiveness of various geophysical techniques to located and map archaeological features. The archaeological features of interest deemed likely to be detected are limestone covered burial sites, storage/trash pits, fire heaths and pottery kilns. Geophysical methods employed were electrical resistivity, ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetics (EM) and magnetic surveys. In 2002, Steven Houston was able to map several limestone slab covered burials. In 2004, Kurtz Miller conducted a detailed 3D survey of one of the limestone slab covered burials originally identified by Houston. Danielle Torridi is currently conducting 3D GPR, EM and resistivity surveys of several new areas at the site. So far, GPR has most successfully delineated anomalies related to limestone covered burials and possibly a dwelling structure. Resistivity has also been very successful delineating limestone slabs that usually cover important burial sites. The recent EM data is still being analyzed. These geophysical methods have especially been successful in detecting and mapping burial sites covered by limestone slabs, but so far the storage/trash pits have not been convincingly detected.