Application of Complementary Geophysical Survey Techniques in the Search for Fort Louis at Old Mobile: A Comparative Case Study
Part of the Old Mobile (1MB94) Site Overview, Mobile County, Alabama. project
Author(s): Gregory Waselkov
Year: 2005
Summary
Application of five geophysical survey methods - earth conductivity, magnetometry, thermal imaging, electrical resistivity and ground penetrating radar - in the search for archaeological remains of Fort Louis, original capitol of the French colony of Louisiane (1702-1711), has yielded divergent yet complementary results. This project included test excavations to ground truth the geophysical results and to evaluate the relative effectiveness of these five geophysical survey technologies in conditions common to the Gulf Coast plain. Silty soils, a water table within a few meters of the ground surface, and shallow, ephemeral ground disturbances during prehistoric and historic occupations characterize many archaeological sites in the Gulf Coastal plain. Geophysical survey techniques have so far been applied to only a handful of sites in this region, and their application in a systematic, comparative fashion, with follow-up ground truthing, is an even rarer phenomenon. At Old Mobile, none of the geophysical survey technologies discovered French colonial features (although one was found in the course of ground-truth test excavations.) However, three technologies - conductivity, magnetometry, and resistance - did reveal modern, cultural, subsurface features. The results of this case study suggest several general lessons.
Cite this Record
Application of Complementary Geophysical Survey Techniques in the Search for Fort Louis at Old Mobile: A Comparative Case Study. Gregory Waselkov. Mobile, Alabama: University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies. 2005 ( tDAR id: 380970) ; doi:10.6067/XCV82R3RBV
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
Culture
Euroamerican
•
French Colonial
•
French Colonial Period
•
Historic
•
Historic Native American
Material
Building Materials
•
Ceramic
•
Fauna
•
Glass
•
Metal
Site Name
1MB94
•
Old Mobile
Site Type
Archaeological Feature
•
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
•
Domestic Structures
•
Fence
•
Hamlet / Village
•
Hearth
•
House
•
Midden
•
Military Structure
•
Non-Domestic Structures
•
Post Hole / Post Mold
•
Settlements
•
Trash Midden
Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation
•
Heritage Management
•
Historic Background Research
•
Reconnaissance / Survey
•
Remote Sensing
•
Research Design / Data Recovery Plan
•
Site Evaluation / Testing
•
Site Stewardship Monitoring
General
Fort Louis
•
Old Mobile
Geographic Keywords
Mobile River
•
MOBILE RIVER DRAINAGE
Temporal Keywords
Colonial Period
•
Historical Period
•
Historical Sites and Artifacts
Temporal Coverage
Calendar Date: 1702 to 1711
Spatial Coverage
min long: -88.026; min lat: 30.942 ; max long: -87.971; max lat: 30.983 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Project Director(s): Gregory Waselkov
Record Identifiers
2004.077(s): Accession Number
File Information
Name | Size | Creation Date | Date Uploaded | Access | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ncptt-old-mobile-2005-final-report.pdf | 2.21mb | Jan 23, 2013 3:09:50 PM | Public |