Several studies have suggested the potential value in applying gamma radiation surveys to support identification of buried archaeological features. However, the number of previous studies is very small and has yielded mixed results. The true efficacy of the technique is therefore unclear. Here, we report on an alternative survey method that uses Groundhog®, a portable gamma radiation system with spectrometric capability, to achieve high spatial density monitoring of archaeological sites. The system, which is used extensively in the nuclear industry, was used to carry out preliminary surveys at four different locations within the Silchester Roman Town. Targeting a site for which an extensive amount of archaeological data is available facilitated testing of the method on a range of known target types. Surveys were carried out along 1-m transects at an approximate walking speed of 1 m per second, resulting in the capture of one radiation measurement per square metre. Total gamma radiation, recorded in counts per second, was presented in the form of surface radiation (contour) maps and compared against existing geophysical data. Total gamma counting consists of counting gamma rays, without energy discrimination, that are spontaneously emitted by the material under investigation. The obtained counts represent the total, or gross, gamma contribution from all radionuclides, both natural background series and anthropogenic. Radiation anomalies were identified in two of the four survey sites. These anomalies correlated with features present in the geophysical data and can be attributed to a Temenos wall bounding the temple complex and an infilled clay pit. Early results suggest that this may be a complementary technique to existing geophysical methods to aid characterization of archaeological sites. However, it is believed that data quality could be significantly improved by further increasing spatial resolution. This will be explored as part of future fieldwork.

中文翻译：

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用于考古勘探的便携式伽马射线光谱仪：Silchester Roman Town 的初步调查

几项研究表明，应用伽马辐射调查以支持识别埋藏的考古特征的潜在价值。然而，以前的研究数量非常少，结果好坏参半。因此，该技术的真正功效尚不清楚。在这里，我们报告了一种替代调查方法，该方法使用具有光谱测量能力的便携式伽马辐射系统 Groundhog® 来实现对考古遗址的高空间密度监测。该系统广泛用于核工业，用于在 Silchester Roman 镇内的四个不同地点进行初步调查。以一个有大量考古数据可用的地点为目标，有助于在一系列已知目标类型上对该方法进行测试。以大约每秒 1 米的步行速度沿 1 米的样带进行调查，从而每平方米捕获一次辐射测量值。以每秒计数记录的总伽马辐射以表面辐射（等高线）图的形式呈现，并与现有的地球物理数据进行比较。总伽马计数包括计数伽马射线，没有能量歧视，由被调查的材料自发发射。获得的计数代表来自所有放射性核素的总的或总的伽马贡献，包括自然背景系列和人为。在四个调查点中的两个发现了辐射异常。这些异常与地球物理数据中存在的特征相关，可归因于包围寺庙建筑群的 Temenos 墙和填充的粘土坑。早期结果表明，这可能是对现有地球物理方法的补充技术，有助于考古遗址的表征。然而，据信进一步提高空间分辨率可以显着提高数据质量。这将作为未来实地工作的一部分进行探索。