Magnetometry for Archaeologists

Reviews / Votes

The goal of the. . . book, Magnetometry for Archaeologists, is 'to establish a framework for the significance and understanding of magnetometry with respect to archaeological investigation' (p. 179). The author's goal is clearly met by this book. ... This book is clearly written and well-illustrated. . . all aspects of the images are explained in the caption, including scale, direction of north, and color ramp. * Journal of Anthropological Research * By providing a more in-depth treatment of the subject than can be found in general texts, this book is directed at both those with little or no background knowledge and those who want to probe more deeply into the subject. Despite the complexity of the subject, the authors have clearly gone to great pains to make it accessible to non-specialists. It will no doubt find its place amongst other formative texts on archaeological geophysics. It covers the subject in a clear and coherent manner and should be welcomed for that reason alone. -- Ben Gourley, University of York * Antiquity * A strong introduction to magnetic survey for archaeologists with emphasis on basic magnetic concepts, magnetometer sensor configurations, practical field issues and survey design. The origin and nature of archaeo-magnetic fields and their appearance as "anomalies" in the data is made clear. The numerous data processing and display steps required to render a graphic suitable for archaeological interpretation are described. Archaeological interpretation of magnetic data is addressed in the context of survey case studies. Readable and to the point, this is a useful contribution for archaeologists on a subject that at its core is both multidisciplinary and complex. -- Lewis Somers, Archaeo-Physics