Imaging the past: archaeological radar stratigraphic analysis at Mahram Bilqis

A detailed GPR survey at the Mahram Bilqis was undertaken to investigate the architectural features buried beneath the desert sands. GPR used in combination with trenching and hand augering for depth verification and material identification, was found to be very effective at mapping the three dimensional location of buried buildings and other subsurface architectural and sedimentary structures. The unique characteristics of the sediment covering the site and the scale of the architectural elements (above and below the surface) presented a number of issues in designing the survey and interpreting the data. The GPR profiles revealed a variety of different structures to a depth of 8 m. The extensive survey and multitude of subsurface features enabled a radar stratigraphic analysis at the site. This was undertaken to classify features according to their geophysical character.