Geophysical Investigations at Ancient Pistyros in Northern Greece

Abstract

This paper discusses the geophysical survey conducted within the fortified settlement of ancient Pistyros in N. Greece. According to archaeological data and the ancient written sources, the city was founded at the end of the 7th century BC. Pistyros based its prosperity on the processing of metals, which were abundant in the surrounding area, and probably on the trade in wine and textiles. Its prosperity continued until the 1st century BC. The investigation employed electrical resistance mapping and magnetic gradiometry. Electrical mapping covered almost the entire fortified area of the settlement. Magnetic gradiometry was employed on a trial basis; however, it did not produce reliable results, due to the abundance of slag and metallurgical debris scattered across the site. In addition to traditional processing, image fusion was attempted, employing relatively recently introduced custom-built algorithms. The numerous geophysical anomalies recorded clearly reflect subsurface features, most likely corresponding to buried architectural remains. This interpretation is primarily based on the morphologies of the detected anomalies. Most exhibit linear patterns of finite extent, while, when considered collectively, they form rectangular geometric configurations. These features reflect the layout of the urban fabric and correspond closely with the ground view of the unearthed architectural remains.