Application of Complementary Geophysical Survey Techniques in the Search for Fort Louis at Old Mobile: A Comparative Case Study

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

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