Knossos Roman Geophysics - 2017

Knossos Roman Geophysics. Daniel Stewart (Leicester/BSA) and Jennifer Baird (Birkbeck/BSA) report on a third season of geophysical survey focused on Roman Knossos in order to provide a spatial framework into which excavated material from Roman Knossos can be situated (Fig. 1). The major aim in 2017 was to deploy Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in areas which had already revealed promising results, in order to assess its value as a technique at Knossos, as well as to complete systematic GPS mapping of known standing remains.

The team experimented in a variety of different conditions: paved and unpaved car parks and roads, olive groves and building interiors. Although GPR has great potential, it is more time-consuming than other techniques. The team therefore covered a much smaller area than in previous seasons, but produced some promising preliminary results. Subsurface features, some at differing depths, were detected in areas 2017.13 2017.18 and 2017.21 marked on the map (Fig. 1). Although processing remains to be completed, the results revealed by GPR at more shallow depths (1-1.5m) should correspond with the uppermost levels of the Roman city (and the results of magnetometry already carried out). Remains revealed below 1.5m in depth may well be pre-Roman, suggesting that – with a considerable degree of caution – GPR may allow access to elements of the pre-Roman city.