What is geophysical prospecting?

Geophysical prospecting is a technique that employs methods based on physical principles—such as electricity, magnetism, and gravity—to explore subsurface structures without the need for invasive excavation. This approach is particularly useful in archaeology, as it allows researchers to locate archaeological features, such as burials, structures, or other significant artifacts, by analyzing how they affect the surrounding physical environment.

Using tools like ground-penetrating radar, electrical resistivity, and magnetic surveys, geophysical prospecting can reveal valuable information about the subsurface landscape. The ability to gather this data non-destructively is a key advantage, enabling archaeologists to make informed decisions about where to excavate and preserve sites that might otherwise be overlooked.

In contrast, detecting ancient pottery, performing types of excavation, or focusing on ancient writing systems do not encompass the physical and non-invasive approaches inherent in geophysical prospecting. Each of those activities represents distinct aspects of archaeology that focus on material culture or textual analysis rather than the geophysical techniques used to uncover hidden structures beneath the earth’s surface.