eastern atlas - Abakan

Kurgans in Southern Siberia

Project	Geomagnetic prospection of kurgan Barsučij Log near Moskovskoe
Location	Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, Russian Federation
Period	Tagar culture, 5th to 3rd century BC
Methods	Geomagnetics, Microtopographical survey
Client	German Archaeological Institute, Berlin Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger



Topographic survey of a Kurgan in Southern Siberia

OBJECTIVES Prior to a large excavation a geomagnetic prospection in the surrounding area of Kurgan Barsučij Log was planned. One reason for that was: The excavation of a pyramid-shaped mound with a side length of 55 m and height of 10 m produces an amount of approx. 7500 cubic metres of dug out material that needs to be stored somewhere. To avoid the loss and damage of possible archaeological finds by covering it with spoil, the storage area should be investigated before. This way potential traces of the burial ceremonial can be detected and protected.

Survey AND RESULTS
Due to the dense profiel distance the geomagnetic survey with a fluxgate-array provided high resolution images. An additional 3D topographic survey was necessary to project accurately the magnetic data on the terrain, especially on the slopes. Further investigations were carried out by cooperation partners from Novosibirsk. The Russian geophysicists applied EM technologies using the induction of electromagnetic fields of variable frequencies to obtain different penetration depths.


Calibration of an electromagnetic instrument by Russian colleagues from Novosibirsk

Geomagnetic and topografic survey add different aspects to the pool of information. By combining the two datasets a very precise interpretation of surface features and magnetic anomalies is possible. Thereby the topographic survey helps to distinguish archaeologically relevant magnetic anomalies from topographic effects. The geomagnetic survey facilitates the detection of buried structures as well as it contributes to clarify the correct formation of outcropping archaeological structures. So it was possible to identify an supposed circular feature surrounding the kurgan to be a square building structure (see figure below).

Kurgan Barsučij Log - Digital terrain model overlaid with geomagnetic map.
Anomalies caused by looting and the square enclosure are visible.

Contact Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger (hp@dainst.de )
Dipl.-Geophys. Burkart Ullrich (b.ullrich@eastern-atlas.de )

LINKS UIGGM - the Institute of Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science in Novosibirsk
(http://www.uiggm.nsc.ru )

Results of the archaeological excavations on the webspace of the German Archaeological Institute
http://www.dainst.org