Name
Herculaneum
Date Range
600 BC – 79
Monuments
Town

Seasons

  • AIAC_2215 - Herculaneum - 2009
    In January 2009 a geophysical survey was undertaken by a joint team representing Archaeological Prospection Services of Southampton and The British School at Rome. This survey was carried out at the request of Prof Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Director of The Herculaneum Conservation Project and The British School at Rome. The purpose of the project was to aid in the identification of the paths of the tunnels which were dug in the 18th century in the area of the Basilica Noniana. Survey was undertaken using both ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), two techniques which can obtain data at greater depths than some other techniques, which was especially important considering the tremendous depth of deposit in this area. The application of both GPR and ERT on this survey proved invaluable, as the two techniques complimented each other to provide a more complete identification of the tunnels and structures that lay beneath the surface. In the area of the basilica the ERT results were able to identify the course of the 18th Century tunnels, while the GPR results were more successful in identifying a series of standing structures in this zone. Both techniques were void of any significant anomalies to the north of the basilica, adding some weight to the suggestion that this may have been the area of the forum of _Herculaneum_.

Media

Name
Herculaneum
Year
2009
Summary
en In January 2009 a geophysical survey was undertaken by a joint team representing Archaeological Prospection Services of Southampton and The British School at Rome. This survey was carried out at the request of Prof Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Director of The Herculaneum Conservation Project and The British School at Rome. The purpose of the project was to aid in the identification of the paths of the tunnels which were dug in the 18th century in the area of the Basilica Noniana. Survey was undertaken using both ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), two techniques which can obtain data at greater depths than some other techniques, which was especially important considering the tremendous depth of deposit in this area.

The application of both GPR and ERT on this survey proved invaluable, as the two techniques complimented each other to provide a more complete identification of the tunnels and structures that lay beneath the surface. In the area of the basilica the ERT results were able to identify the course of the 18th Century tunnels, while the GPR results were more successful in identifying a series of standing structures in this zone. Both techniques were void of any significant anomalies to the north of the basilica, adding some weight to the suggestion that this may have been the area of the forum of _Herculaneum_.
it Nel gennaio 2009 una ricognizione geofisica è stata condotta da un team congiunto dell’Archaeological Prospection Services di Southampton e della British School di Roma. La ricognizione è stata condotta su richiesta del prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, direttore dell’Herculaneum Conservation Project e della British School di Roma. Lo scopo della ricognizione era quello di facilitare l’identificazione del percorso del tunnel che fu scavato nel XVIII secolo nell’area della Basilica Noniana. La ricognizione è stata condotta usando sia il georadar (GPR) sia la tomografia (ERT), due tecniche capaci di ottenere dati a profondità maggiori rispetto ad altre tecniche, cosa particolarmente importante in considerazione della grande profondità del deposito in quest’area.

L’applicazione del GPR e dell’ERT su questa ricognizione è stata preziosa, in quanto le due tecniche si integrano a vicenda nel fornire una più completa identificazione dei tunnel delle strutture che giacciono al di sotto della superficie. Nell’area della basilica i risultati ERT hanno potuto identificare il corso del tunnel del XVIII secolo, mentre i risultati GPR sono stati di maggiore successo nell’identificare una serie di strutture emergenti in questa zona. Entrambe le tecniche non hanno rivelato anomalie significative a nord della basilica, aggiungendo così sostegno all’ipotesi che questa possa essere stata l’area del foro di Ercolano.
Summary Author
Gregory Tucker
Team
Archaeologist - Jessica Ogden
Field director - Kristian Strutt
Field director - Sophie Hay

Media

Location

Ancient Site Name
Herculaneum
Location
Ercolano
Easting
14.347508
Northing
40.806875