First High‐resolution GPR and Magnetic Archaeological Prospection at the Viking Age Settlement of Birka in Sweden

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetic gradiometer surveys at Birka, a UNESCO-listed Viking Age settlement in Sweden, revealed intricate structural details of the proto-urban site. The non-invasive geophysical methods mapped houses, property boundaries, pathways, and buried town ramparts from multiple construction phases, including a gate. This pioneering 2006 study demonstrated the effectiveness of high-resolution GPR and magnetometry for archaeological prospection in Scandinavian contexts, combining state-of-the-art data processing with GIS-based interpretation to uncover new insights about Birka-Hovgården's layout and development.

Trinks, I., Neubauer, W., & Hinterleitner, A. (2014). First High‐resolution GPR and Magnetic Archaeological Prospection at the Viking Age Settlement of Birka in Sweden. Archaeological Prospection, 21(3), 185–199. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1481