Cl PA 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey
Figure 1. Large area magnetometric survey in southern
Abusir with identification of magnetic rectangular
features of cemetery area (11,5 ha).
with egyptologist and respecting some previous results
of field surface survey and fotogrammetry realised in
2001. For geophysical surveys (and all types of possible
future surveys connected together by GIS) has been
established for the whole area of czech territory unique
geodetical grid-net 50x50m with N-S orientation. The
large area magnetometric survey of hilly and sloped
landscape around excavated tomb-complex of vizier Qar
and official Inti (approx. 11,5 ha) was the main focus of
geophysical measurements in 2002 in southern Abusir.
The example of preliminary results of magnetometric
survey of this area documents very intensive and also
extensive use of probable cemetery area approx. 7-8 ha
(fig. 1). The main concentrations of various rectangular,
surbrectangular or linear probable mud brick structures
cover the whole upper hilly plateau and sloped terrain
south-eastern from present excavated area of shaft
tombs in Qar family complex. Various dimensions,
shapes, orientations and also amplitudes of identified
linear magnetic anomalies could contribute to separation
of more different types of funeral or another features
(tombs, shaft tombs, chapels, walls,...?) very probably
from more different periods of Old Kingdom or later
activities on site (fig. 2). The use of magnetometers in
complicated field conditions helped to idnetification of
low or high magnetic components of more complicated
features where was very common to combine more
building materials (magnetic mud bricks, non-magnetic
limestome blocks, very low or non-magnetic clay and
sandy materials, only sometimes also magnetic granites
or high magnetic volcanic materials).
The big concentartion of remains of various features on
magnetometric results represents very probably only a
part of features present on surveyed area beneath the
sand.
0 25 SO
met* ps
Figure 2. Separation of different types and shapes of
linear features from detail of magnetometric survey
(approx. 2 ha).
3. CONCLUSION
The new geophysical survey in territory of the new
Czech archaeological concession after more than 20
years brouht to egyptologists a lot of quantitatively and
also qualitatively new results. The new experience of
application and testing of more geophysical techiques
provides more real ideas about possibilities and also
limitations of geophysical work in desert conditions.
Anyway for the future choice of geophysical work (and
possibility of better interpretation of identified
anomalies) in area of south Abusir it will be good to
have any archaeological data and at first to verify more
discovered places by quick archaeological excavations
(trenches). For the future work in southern Abusir
region western from dry Abusir lake it would be also
useful to coordinate, compare and complete area
magnetometric results with similar area geophysical
surveys on territory of National Museum of Scotland
concession in northern Sakkara. The first systematic
archaological verifications of geophysical results from
2002 field-season should be realised in autumn 2003.
References:
Barta, M. - Krejci, J., eds. 2000. Abusir and Saqqara in
the Year 2000, Prague.
Barta, M., 2001. Abusir V. The Cemeteries at Abusir
South I, Prague.
Bruna,V., 2002. Uloha geoinformatiky pri
archeologickem vyzkumu v Abusiru, In: PES - Prazske
egyptologicke studie, 1/2002, pp. 43-47, Praha.
Cech, P., 2002. Nova metoda ve starem kabate, In: PES -
Prazske egyptologicke studie, 1/2002, pp. 48-50, Praha.
Hasek, V. - Obr, F. - Prichystal, A. - Verner, M., 1986.
Application of Geological and Geophysical Methods in
Archaeological Research at Abusir. Sbornlk geologickych
