The Dose Rate Calculator (DRc) for Luminescence and ESR Dating—a Java Application for Dose Rate and Age Determination

The Dose Rate calculator (DRc) is a software program written in Java that facilitates the calculation of dose rates and age determinations of materials, for use in palaeodosimetric dating methods. The program runs in a user‐friendly interface and provides a number of user‐controllable features. Dose rates are calculated using updated conversion and attenuation factors. This paper presents the basic principles that the software takes into account in its calculations.     

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AT BODEN VEAN,CORNWALL, INCLUDING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MICROGRAVITY TECHNIQUE FOR THE LOCATION OF SUSPECTED ARCHAEOLOGICAL VOID FEATURES*

A geophysical survey was conducted at Boden Vean, St. Anthony Meneage, Cornwall, over the site of a buried chamber thought to be the remains of a souterrain or fogou. A combination of geophysical techniques was successfully applied including an experimental microgravity survey over the location of the buried chamber itself. Magnetometer survey revealed a complex palimpsest of archaeological activity extending throughout the surrounding landscape, centred on a rectangular ditched enclosure containing the fogou. A series of gravity anomalies were recorded in the vicinity of the latter which were consistent with the collapsed section of the feature recorded by the Cornish Archaeological Unit. Further gravity anomalies suggested the presence of additional void features, possibly related to the extended passages of the fogou.     

SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND DIELECTRIC PERMITTIVITY OF SOILS USING A SLINGRAM ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE IN MEDIUM FREQUENCY RANGE*

The simultaneous measurement of different physical properties of the soil with a single apparatus can be of value in archaeological prospecting. This paper establishes, from theoretical calculation, that the use of the medium frequency range allows the determination of the soil permittivity as well as of the soil conductivity with a Slingram electromagnetic device.     

DETECTING TRENDS IN THE PREDICTION OF THE BURIED PAST: A REVIEW OF GEOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES IN ARCHAEOLOGY*

Geophysical survey techniques are a highly visible part of the scientific toolkit that is now used by archaeologists. In this paper, the history of the use of geophysical techniques in archaeology will be discussed, as will significant research themes associated with the most widely used prospecting devices. It is apparent that while the use of geophysical techniques is at an all‐time high, there are many key areas where prospecting is rapidly developing. Some of the advances relate to fundamental aspects of the techniques, while others dictate how we undertake survey in the future. There is a movement away from pre‐gridded survey areas towards real‐time GPS for navigation. This allows greater integration, or fusion, of disparate data sources using visualization techniques derived from associated disciplines. The analysis of landscapes has become a major component of the application of new technology and there are many challenges to be tackled, including how to analyse and interpret significant archaeology within large‐scale, data‐rich, multi‐technique investigations. The reflective nature of the review acknowledges the important role of Archaeometry in the development of archaeological geophysics.