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Soil Science and the Interpretation of Archaeological Sites: A Soil Survey and Magnetic Susceptibility Analysis of Altofts ‘Henge’, Normanton, West Yorkshire
Author(s) -
WESTON D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
archaeological prospection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.785
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1099-0763
pISSN - 1075-2196
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0763(199603)3:1<39::aid-arp44>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - feature (linguistics) , geology , archaeology , mining engineering , soil survey , gradiometer , geography , soil science , soil water , physics , magnetic field , philosophy , linguistics , magnetometer , quantum mechanics
A magnetic gradiometry survey of a feature scheduled as a henge (West Yorkshire 1215) picked out the bank of the henge and also a spur feature; however, the magnitude of the gradiometer readings (±200 nT) was deemed too large for a henge. In order to investigate the true nature of the feature, a soil auger survey was undertaken of part of the non‐scheduled area. It was believed that as the bank and the spur had similar gradiometric responses, it was likely that they were the product of similar materials. The soil survey and the (mass specific) magnetic susceptibility analysis both strongly suggested that the feature was not a henge but a remnant from an adjoining shallow coal mine.