Ground-penetrating Radar and Photogrammetry in Medieval France: Results from the Auvergne

Summary

The medieval period in Europe is well known from archaeological sites and historical records including England’s Domesday Book. The Auvergne of southern France, however, is a poorly studied upland region. This rugged environment of volcanic peaks contains a rich, yet mostly unknown medieval history. A research program is underway that includes archaeological survey, excavation, and geophysical survey at sites across the region. GPR survey in June 2015 focused on unexcavated portions of Les Yvérats, the only medieval (XI-XIIth centuries) hamlet ever studied in the region. Additional test surveys were conducted at a nearby "comb" site, one of many 3-4 room pastoral structures visible in aerial imagery but poorly understood, and the medieval hillfort at Brión. GPR data were topographically corrected using photogrammetrically derived terrain models. Finally, GPR was used to explore a medieval tunnel site approximately 100 km to the south, where tunnel entrances are known but passageways are obstructed by sediment. Medieval tunnels were used as hiding places during times of war and to store cereals. Two previously unknown tunnel passageways were discovered, which will guide preservation efforts and help target excavations to better understand the site. GPR results will be presented in this poster.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage