Magnetic Prospection in the Eastern Lower City of Artashat-Artaxata in the Ararat Plain of Armenia

Q2 Arts and Humanities
A. Lichtenberger, C. Meyer, Torben Schreiber, Mkrtich H. Zardaryan
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

In March of 2021, the Berlin-based company cmp continued geophysical prospection works at the ancient city of Artashat-Artaxata (Ararat Province, Armenia). The city was founded by Artashes-Artaxias I in the early 2nd century BC and served as his capital. First magnetic measurements were conducted by the Eastern Atlas company in September 2018. In 2021, during the 5-day survey a total surface of approximately 19.5 ha was investigated by use of the LEA MAX magnetic gradiometer array. This system was configured with seven fluxgate gradiometer probes, similar to the system used in the first survey of 2018. The investigated areas of the Eastern Lower City of Artaxata, located to the south of the investigated field of 2018, had good surface conditions with a moderate amount of sources causing disturbance. However, the general level of the magnetic gradient values measured was significantly lower compared to the 2018 data. Despite the lower magnetic field intensity, a continuation of linear structures towards the south was observed. These lines, most likely reflecting streets and pathways, criss-cross the central part of the Eastern Lower City in a NW–SE and NE–SW direction and exhibit partly positive, partly negative magnetic anomalies. Attached to them, some isolated spots with building remains were identified. The negative linear anomalies point to remains of limestone foundations, as detected in the northern part of the Lower City. The low magnetic intensity and fragmentation of the observed structures are most likely due to severe destruction of the ancient layers by 20th-century earthworks for agricultural purposes. Moreover, the southern part of the surveyed area was affected by major changes caused by modern quarries at Hills XI and XII. In general, the results of the two magnetic prospection campaigns greatly aid our understanding of the archaeological situation in the area of the Eastern Lower City of Artaxata, justifying further investigations that will surely contribute to greater contextualization of the identified archaeological structures. The full data sets are also published in open access on Zenodo.
亚美尼亚阿拉拉特平原Artashat Artaxata东部下城的磁性远景
2021年3月,总部位于柏林的cmp公司继续在阿尔塔萨特-阿尔塔萨塔古城(亚美尼亚阿拉拉特省)进行地球物理勘探工作。这座城市是由阿尔塔什-阿尔塔西亚斯一世在公元前2世纪早期建立的,并作为他的首都。东方阿特拉斯公司于2018年9月进行了首次磁场测量。2021年,在为期5天的调查中,使用LEA MAX磁梯度仪阵列调查了约19.5 ha的总表面。该系统配置了7个磁通门梯度探头,与2018年第一次调查中使用的系统类似。位于2018年调查区域南部的Artaxata东部下城的调查区域具有良好的地表条件,并且引起干扰的源数量适中。然而,与2018年的数据相比,测量到的磁梯度值的总体水平显着降低。尽管磁场强度较低,但观察到向南的线性结构的延续。这些线,很可能反映了街道和小路,在北西-东南和东北-西南方向纵横交错在东部下城区的中部,并表现出部分正、部分负的磁异常。此外,还发现了一些有建筑遗迹的孤立地点。负线性异常指向石灰岩地基的遗迹,正如在下城北部发现的那样。所观察到的结构的低磁场强度和破碎最有可能是由于20世纪的农业土方工程对古代地层的严重破坏。总的来说,两次磁性勘探活动的结果极大地帮助我们了解了东部下城市阿尔塔克萨塔地区的考古情况,为进一步的调查提供了依据,这必将有助于更大程度地将已确定的考古结构背景化。完整的数据集也在Zenodo上以开放获取的方式发布。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Electrum
Electrum Arts and Humanities-Classics
CiteScore
0.70
自引率
0.00%
发文量
30
期刊介绍: Electrum has been published since 1997 by the Department of Ancient History at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow as a collection of papers and monographs. In 2010 it starts as journal with one monographic issue per year. Journal publishes scholarly papers embodying studies in history and culture of Greece, Rome and Near East from the beginning of the First Millennium BC to about AD 400. Contributions are written in English, German, French and Italian. The journal publishes books reviews.
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