Cavity detection using a pseudo-3D electric resistivity tomography at the Palaeolithic/Neolithic site of Scaloria Cave, Apulia, Italy: integrated assessment of synthetic and field data sets

A pseudo-3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey has been carried out to detect cavities at the Neolithic/Palaeolithic site of Grotta Scaloria, close to Manfredonia, Apulia, Italy. Scaloria Cave has a rich history of archaeological research of more than 80 years and is one of the most impo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchaeological and anthropological sciences Vol. 15; no. 11; p. 175
Main Authors Maerker, M., Rellini, I., Mucerino, L., Torrese, P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2023
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Anthropology
Archaeological research
Archaeology
Caries
Caves
Chemistry/Food Science
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Electrical resistivity
Geography
Geological structures
Life Sciences
Neolithic
Original Paper
Polls & surveys
Tomography
Italy
Electrical resistivity tomography
Scaloria Cave
Cavity detection
Paleo-/Neolithic site
Synthetic data
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Summary:A pseudo-3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey has been carried out to detect cavities at the Neolithic/Palaeolithic site of Grotta Scaloria, close to Manfredonia, Apulia, Italy. Scaloria Cave has a rich history of archaeological research of more than 80 years and is one of the most important Neolithic complexes in the Mediterranean. Synthetic data modelling allowed to check the adequacy of the geophysical method and to develop a proper experimental setup at the survey design stage. Indeed, the results of the field data inversion revealed high resistivity anomalies which can be related to cavities and provided a good definition of the main geological structures and boundaries. Moreover, the results suggest that unknown and speleological unexplored cavities are still present at the Scaloria Cave study site. These findings may provide further insights on pseudo-3D ERT applicability, particularly for cavity detection. Furthermore, the approach used in this study yields fruitful information for further archaeological survey design and for the interpretation of ERT investigations targeting similar geological features and structures.
ISSN:1866-9557
1866-9565
DOI:10.1007/s12520-023-01859-5