INVESTIGATING SPANISH COLONIAL FEATURES USING GPR IN URBAN SETTINGS

Archaeologists at Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) have been utilizing 3-D ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys to rediscover the locations and document the construction techniques of irrigation ditches and other historic features in San Antonio, Texas. Using 3-D GPR, archival research, archaeological backhoe trenching, and hand excavations, we are compiling an assemblage of data to help us determine under what geomorphological and burial conditions the GPR yields reliable results. This paper reviews recent RKEI projects involving GPR surveys, highlighting the processes and final results during the archaeological rediscoveries.