Acquisition of Magnetic and Soil Magnetic Equipment for Ground-Testing and Interpreting Geophysical Surveys

美国国家科学基金会的主要研究仪器资助将允许明尼苏达州立大学穆尔黑德分校（MSUM）的研究人员开发创新的非侵入性方法来研究我国的文化资源。地表地球物理调查提供了一种快速、非破坏性的考古景观测绘方法。然而，支持地球物理数据的考古解释的地面测试工作集中在传统的破坏性方法上，如挖掘。这笔拨款将用于开发井下地球物理和实验室土壤磁技术，以大大减少侵入性地面测试操作的范围，提高地面地球物理调查的有效性和解释，并提供有关考古遗址和特征如何形成和运作的信息。购买的仪器将大大扩大现有的土壤磁性实验室和一套地球物理勘探设备。土壤磁性实验室是国内首个致力于考古应用的土壤磁性实验室。这些资源位于人类学和地球科学系内，是美国为数不多的将人类学与地球科学相结合的本科系之一，这些资源将使新兴的环境磁学和考古地球物理学领域正式整合，以更好地研究文化资源，而不会破坏这些不可替代的遗迹。这种设备提供了一个机会来解决一些关于过去的关键问题。例如，文化资源管理的一个共同需求是确定墓地和无标记坟墓。在这类研究中，尤其是在美洲原住民群体中，主要关注的是非侵入性技术的发展。近地表地球物理技术提供了一种绘制这些资源的非破坏性手段；然而，这些技术往往不能提供足够的数据来确定个别坟墓的位置，也不能确定所绘制的异常是否确实是坟墓。井下磁化率技术与实验室磁技术相结合，为提高近地表地球物理调查对无标记人类墓葬的识别、评价和保存能力提供了新的途径。其他应用包括研究古代定居模式，识别深埋在当前地表下的以前的陆地表面和人类居住地。这种方法也将有助于记录我们第一批美国本土景观建筑师在土建方面的成就，并有助于探索历史遗迹。这种综合的地球物理方法将被纳入国家公园管理局（NPS）的年度培训课程，参加培训的考古学家来自大学、联邦机构、州机构、文化资源管理公司、来自环境办公室和文化资源项目的美国原住民工作人员以及当地考古协会的成员。设备将用于四个跨学科的本科课程，并将使课程、学生成长和发展的机会、研究、MSUM和三学院联盟的服务和推广方面的一些改进成为可能。它将以一个致力于促进积极研究的项目为中心，作为让本科生参与有意义的研究经验和训练的一种手段。每两年将有近200名学生接触到用这种设备开发的方法。

Support from a National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant will allow researchers at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) to develop innovative non-invasive approaches for studying our nation's cultural resources. Surface geophysical surveys provide a rapid, non-destructive means of mapping archaeological landscapes. Ground testing efforts to support archaeological interpretation of the geophysical data, however, have concentrated on traditional destructive approaches such as excavation. This grant will allow development of down-hole geophysical and laboratory soil magnetic techniques to drastically reduce the scope of invasive ground-testing operations, to improve the effectiveness of and interpretation of surface geophysical surveys, and to provide information on how archaeological sites and features formed and functioned. Instruments purchased will significantly expand an existing soil magnetic laboratory and suite of geophysical exploration equipment. The soil magnetic laboratory is the first of its kind in this country that is dedicated to archaeological application. Situated within the department of anthropology and earth science, one of only a few undergraduate departments in the U.S. that combines anthropology with the geosciences, these resources will allow the formal integration of the burgeoning fields of environmental magnetism and archaeological geophysics in efforts to better study cultural resources without destroying these irreplaceable remains. This equipment provides an opportunity to address a number of critical questions about the past. For example, a common need in cultural resource management is the identification of cemeteries and unmarked graves. A major concern in such studies, especially among Native American groups, is the development of non-invasive techniques. Near-surface geophysical techniques offer a non-destructive means of mapping these resources; however, these techniques often do not provide data sufficient to identify individual grave locations nor to ascertain whether mapped anomalies are indeed graves. Combining down-hole magnetic susceptibility and laboratory magnetic techniques provides a new avenue for improving the ability of near-surface geophysical surveys for identifying unmarked human burials and also for evaluating and preserving them. Other applications include studying ancient settlement patterns and identifying previous land surfaces and locations of human habitation that are deeply buried beneath the current surface. This approach will also be useful in documenting achievements in earth construction of our first Native American landscape architects and for exploring historic places.This combined geophysical approach will be incorporated into National Park Service (NPS) annual training courses attended by archaeologists from universities, Federal agencies, state agencies, Cultural Resource Management firms, Native American staff from environmental offices and cultural resource programs, and members of local archaeological societies. Equipment will be used within four interdisciplinary undergraduate courses and will make possible a number of improvements in curriculum, in opportunities for student growth and development, in research, and in service and outreach at MSUM and within a Tri-College consortium. It will be centered with a program committed to promoting active research as a means of involving its undergraduate students in meaningful research experiences and training. Nearly 200 students will be exposed to approaches developed with this equipment on a biennial basis.