case study: kerkenes site urbanism and the methods of geophysical survey
TRANSCRIPT
Case Study: Kerkenes SiteUrbanism and the Methods of Geophysical Survey
• Site bounded by 7 km of stone walls with 7 city gates• Iron Age City founded around 600 BC• Pillaged and burnt down by mid-6th century
Background
Balloon Photography and GPS Mapping
•Shows large rectangular urban block (3,250 m2 )•Probably once bounded by streets at either end
NE of Central Area
West of Reservoir
•Shows boundary of compound (vegetation in summer reflects subsurface features)
Resistivity and Gradiometer Survey
•Reveals sub-unit structures of large urban block –Several two-roomed building
–Row of independent structures
NE of Central Area
West of Reservoir
•Reveals portion of central street•Cluster of dense buildings, other urban blocks•Influence of topography on orientation and position of faint structures•Subdivisions within enclosures evident
Resistivity Survey on North End of City
•More clear than gradiometer readings•Elaborates on subsurface data from earlier excavations•Confirms existence of other large halls•Confirms water management systems
Gradiometer Results on North End of City
•Picks up outline of burnt buildings
Inferences
•Probably houses•Smaller structures may have had secondary functions, i.e. storage, stabling.•Had double pitched or shed roofs•City’s life span short, as no rebuilding/remodeling is apparent•Centralized planning evident in ordered layout, size, and boundaries •Population size estimated at 23,000 for 250 hectares•No evidence of industrial areas, but would have had artisans