Advances in GPR data acquisition and analysis for archaeology

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) study successfully identified a thin burnt soil layer buried over 2 meters deep at the Liangzhu Site, despite challenging conditions like high electrical conductivity and root scattering. The research demonstrated that using multiple antenna configurations—100 MHz and 200 MHz in TE/TM broadside and cross-polarized setups—combined with advanced attribute analysis (e.g., instantaneous phase, geometric attributes) significantly improves the detection of prehistoric archaeological features. Ground-truthing validated GPR imaging, confirming correlations between subsurface properties like electrical conductivity and relative dielectric permittivity (RDP). This approach enhances archaeological subsurface characterization even in complex environments.

Zhao, W., Tian, G., Forte, E., Pipan, M., Wang, Y., Li, X., Shi, Z., & Liu, H. (2015). Advances in GPR data acquisition and analysis for archaeology. Geophysical Journal International, 202(1), 62–71. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv121