The geophysicists at work |
The kite used to take aerial photographs |
Photos courtesy Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project. Click on images to enlarge. |
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by Marc Waelkens |
The Geophysical Survey: July 6-12, 2003
Beginning last year, a team of geophysicists from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) has carried out a geophysical survey in parts of the urban area. These results should complete the picture produced by our intensive urban survey which started four years ago. Last year proved to be very successful for the eastern section of the city. We identified large villas, but also a major temple by means of magnetometry and electro-resistivity. This year, given drier circumstances, magnetometry is combined with conductivity analysis. Last week, the team focused on the area just south of the standing remains of the Roman Baths, where a square like structure could represent the its palaestra (sports area). Toward the end of the week, the team moved to the area around the theater. Just south of the scene building they found what might be a small bath complex. To the north of the structure they located at least two new buildings and a fifth-century A.D. street leading to the Potters' Quarter. Next week we hope to document also a very elongated and tall structure to the northeast of the theater, which could have been an official granary. In order to complement the results of the geophysics, we have also started to take aerial photographs of the same areas using a kite. This is completely dependent on strong winds, so it could only be carried out during the first one and a half hour of each day.
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