Geophysical Explorations at a Reservoir Site in Southwestern Oklahoma

Summary

The erosion and subsequent looting of archaeological materials from reservoir sites has long been a cause for concern. The damming of rivers results in the inundation of prehistoric camp and burial sites. Human remains and associated burial goods are a favorite of looters, and are frequently exposed by the rise and fall of reservoir waters. This project employs geospatial analysis of the Lake Altus-Lugert reservoir in southwestern Oklahoma to locate high-risk sites before they are exposed to looters. In addition to point plotting, surface collection, and metal detection, three geophysical methods are used, gradiometry, electrical resistivity, and ground-penetrating radar. Primarily through the use of gradiometry and ground-penetrating radar, 28 areas were pinpointed for testing. The results of this testing will assist in determining a future protocol for dealing with reservoir sites and burial recovery in this region.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage