Sarris, A.; Weymouth, J.; Cullen, B.; Stein, C.; Wiseman, J., "The Nikopolis Project -- Integration of Geophysical Prospection, Satellite Remote Sensing, and GIS Techniques in the Study of Epirus. Greece (1996)", International Symposium of Archaeometry, May 20-24.
As part of the Nikopolis Project, a multidisciplinary survey project in southern Epirus, a number of prospection techniques have been used to help address questions related to the settlement patterns of the region and the management of its cultural resources. Geophysical techniques, including magnetometry, soil resistivity, and conductivity, were employed to investigate specific areas of archaeological interest and complement the data obtained by surface survey. These micro-regional geophysical surveys were able to identify a number of archaeological details, reconstruct the remnants of the surface archaeological features, and pin-point various subsurface patterns. Resistivity soundings and core drilling were carried out to enhance our knowledge of the stratigraphy and the vertical extension of certain features. Satellite remote sensing techniques have also been employed to facilitate the study of the wider region. Supervised classification was utilized in the analysis of SPOT satellite images in an effort to correlate landscape features with archaeological sites. The procedure was successful and resulted in the discovery of several Paleolithic findspots. The results of these analyses will be integrated with other project data in a GIS to be used as an analytical tool for the management of the cultural resources of Epirus. The use of the various remote sensing techniques illustrates their importance in studying the regional level dynamics of ancient landscapes.
