Seeing beneath the soil: geophysical survey for archaeology

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Ability to use specific types of geophysical survey equipment, and understand their application and limitations in the field.
• Ability to recognise sites and monuments, their relationship to one another and their landscape context.
• the basic theoretical concepts of geophysical survey techniques, and how these theories are applied practically in the field.
• current best practice in archaeological fieldwork.
• Ability to use relevant computer software to process and publish survey results to publication standard.
• Ability to produce final survey plots and written interpretation to publication standard.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Place your results within the context of map data using computer applications
• Undertake geophysical surveys using Resistivity, Magnetometry, Ground Penetrating Radar and magnetic susceptibility methods
• Process and produce images of geophysical survey results
• Produce archaeological interpretations of data, and write full reports on the findings of geophysical surveys

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Be able to interpret the archaeological significance of anomalies located in your survey results
• Use key geophysical survey equipment in an archaeological context
• Be capable of assessing the most appropriate method for survey of a site
• Use tapes or a total station to grid out a survey area

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Produce a final report on a survey, together with recommendations for future assessment based on valued reasoning from the results of your work and your background knowledge of the techniques used and their implications
• Assess the nature and extent of particular sites or monuments within their landscape context, and calculate the most suitable survey method to discover more about the nature, dimensions and structure of a site
• Understand the basic theoretical and practical elements of geophysical survey in archaeology

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Blog

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Your tutor will comment on these two posts to give you some formative feedback. You may also wish to post thoughts on other aspects of your reading to generate discussion and comment, please feel free to do so.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.