INTEGRATED GEOPHYSICAL STUDIES IN ANCIENT ITANOS, CRETE

• A. Vafidis (Applied Geophysics Laboratory, Mineral Resources Engineering Department, Technical University of Crete, 731 00 Chania, Greece)
• A. Sarris, T. Kalpaxis (Laboratory of Geophysical-Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeo-Environment, Institute of Mediterranean Studies, Foundation of Research and Technology (F.O.R.T.H.), 741 00 Rethymno, Greece)

Since 1994, the Technical University of Crete and the Institute for Mediterranean Studies/F.O.R.T.H, in collaboration with the Ecole Francaise d'Athenes, are involved in a geophysical research program in the archaeological site of Itanos, Å. Crete. The project integrates geophysical imaging techniques for the mapping of monuments of the archaeological site.

Test excavations brought to light a number of monuments and finds related to the occupation of the site that spans from Classical to Early Christian/Hellenistic period. The site covers an area of more than 16,000 square meters and it was soon realized that the assessment of the archaeological monuments of the site could be accomplished only through the utilization of geophysical and satellite remote sensing techniques. The purpose of the geophysical project was to map the buried archaeological relics. Seismic refraction and reflection techniques were used for detecting the ancient port of Itanos and mapping the bedrock of the area, covered by alluvium deposits. The location of the ancient port in the region south of the two acropolis revealed by combining seismic, soil resistance, magnetic gradient and electromagnetic data with the digital elevation model. These prospection techniques were employed to map the subsurface architectural remnants and provide information on the extension of the settlement.

Further geophysical prospection work was carried out through the use of nonconventional techniques such as ground penetrating radar and electrical tomography. The goal was to study in depth the dynamic potential of these methodologies for a more productive application of them in archaeological prospection. In Itanos, the non-conventional techniques refined the geophysical signature of subsurface targets and improved the interpretation process. In this way, excavations are only required to investigate regions of significant interest, providing a feedback to the process of data manipulation.

The 3-dimensional model of the port's basin was integrated by further seismic surveys such as S-wave refraction and inversion of surface waves. The resulting model was fed to the 3D elevation model of the site to recreate the environmental settings of the particular area in question. Geophysical, geological and archaeological data from ancient Itanos are synthesized to an interactive Geographic Information System. This type of integration of geophysical prospection and GIS technologies led to an easier way of data presentation and a more valid interpretation of the geophysical data.

Greco E., Kalpaxis Th., Schnapp A. et Viviers D., "Travaux menes en collaboration avec l'Ecole francaise en 1998. Itanos (Crete orientale)", Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique (BCH), 123/II, Etudes Chroniques et rapports, pp.515-530, 1999.

Vafidis, A., Poulioudis, G., Kritikakis, G. and Sarris, A., High Resolution Geophysical Imaging of Buried Relics in Itanos Archaeological Site, CAA2002 International Conference: Computer Applicationsand Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. The Digital Heritage of Archaeology, Herakleion, Crete, 2-6 April, 2002.