Two Geophysical Technologies Used in Archaeological Research Simplified and Explained

The geophysical techniques ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) are commonly used data collection methodologies in numerous disciplines, including archaeology. Many researchers are now, or will be in the future, associated with projects that use these geophysical techniques, but who are not well versed in the instrumentation, its function, related terminology, data interpretation, and outcomes. This entry outlines the general approach and background for completing this type of research, dissects the methodology from a completed geoarchaeological project that uses both GPR and ERT, and provides concise definitions and explanations for all facets of the methodology. Based on this methodology, 21 terms or concepts related to GPR are explained in detail, as are 26 terms or concepts related to ERT, and visual representations of some of the terms and concepts are further illuminated via 11 figures. There are also 133 references linked to the various concepts and terms presented in this entry.