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Geophysical survey at the early Christian complex of Son Peretó (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain)
Author(s) -
Mas Florit Catalina,
Cau Ontiveros Miguel Ángel,
Meyer Cornelius,
Sala Roger,
Ortiz Helena,
RodrÍguez Simón Pedro
Publication year - 2021
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/arp.1808
Subject(s) - ground penetrating radar , geophysical survey , balearic islands , geology , settlement (finance) , gradiometer , archaeology , human settlement , excavation , geography , magnetometer , seismology , geophysics , paleontology , radar , cartography , telecommunications , physics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field , payment , world wide web , computer science
Rural basilicas are the most important evidence of Christianization of the countryside on the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Recent investigations of rural landscape transformations suggest that some churches were built along communication routes and linked to preexisting settlements. To obtain new data that could support this hypothesis, a geophysical survey has been carried out at the early Christian complex of Son Peretó, one of the most emblematic sites for the understanding of Late Antiquity on the island. The objective was to better define the site investigating the possible presence of other remains related to the Christian complex, that is undergoing excavation, or to a previous settlement that was later Christianized. The geophysical survey was carried out combining magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. For the magnetic investigation, a multiprobe gradiometer array was used. GPR was used to examine the areas nearby the remains already excavated and to better define areas where the magnetic data revealed interesting anomalies. GPR data were collected using an IDS GPR system. The results revealed both the presence of architectural remains beneath the soil that help define the Early Christian complex, as well as other remains that suggest the church was part of a larger settlement.