Ground Penetrating Radar Survey at St. John’s Church, Bemerton

Wessex Archaeology recently conducted a geophysical survey at St. John’s Church in Bemerton, a mile or so west of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Residents from the Bemerton Community Group are in the process of converting part of the church into a community centre, whilst maintaining part of the building as a worship space, and need to be connected to mains utilities. We were asked to survey the routes the utilities would take through the churchyard, from the road to the church building itself.

St. John’s Church, Bemerton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire

The construction of St. John’s Church began in 1859 and dedicated in 1861, so the team expected to find archaeology associated with the church, along with graves, up to 150 years old. Out of the techniques we commonly use, ground penetrating radar (GPR) was considered the most useful for this project as we can look at the results in three dimensions. The GPR sends pulses of energy into the ground and measures the time taken for them to bounce off buried features; it works in exactly the same way as radar used to find aircraft, only we point ours downwards!

A radargram showing a buried reflector, with time increasing downwards

The site was surveyed on a closely spaced grid, with each data profile showing the distance along the line and the time it took the GPR signal to travel through the ground, reflect off any buried features and return to the antenna. The data are processed so that we can peel layers away that took the same length of time to return to the GPR. We can work out the speed the GPR signal travels through the ground, so work out how deep the responses are.

A time slice showing the approximate depth of buried archaeology

The GPR is pushed around in a wheeled cart and the data appear on a screen in front of the surveyor as they push the GPR forwards. A group of children from Bemerton St John C of E Primary School were able to join us in the afternoon to help collect some of the data. It’s always a pleasure to meet the possible archaeologists and geophysicists of the future!

The results successfully showed the locations of a number of unmarked graves, as well as modern services and possible elements of the church foundations. The information provided by the survey will help with more detailed planning of the construction of the new community centre.

For more information about the work of the Bemerton Community Group, you can follow the progress of the project on their blog.

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Archaeological Survey at Wessex Archaeology - an update from the Geomatics Team

We have just posted some new and interesting case studies as well as more information about techniques we use to satisfy the demanding needs of heritage survey & GIS projects.

As recently announced, Wessex Archaeology have been accepted as Affiliate Members of the Survey Association.  We provide a range of geomatics services for the heritage sector and our TSA membership will help us to develop these services further.

Working closely with hardware and software manufacturers, academic institutions and partners in the survey industry, as well as our own in-house teams of archaeological surveyors and geomatics experts, built heritage and archaeology specialists, we provide tailored solutions for all manner of projects.

These range from small scale recording of architectural features or buildings as part of planning applications right through to detailed surveys of entire building complexes or landscapes as part of planning proposals, mitigation of works, research grant proposals, Environmental Impact Assessments or Heritage Lottery Fund bids.

Recently, we have been busy with a wide variety of survey projects as well as supporting the Stonehenge and Avebury Research Framework project.

Find out more about our archaeology geomatics services.

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NOAA and Navy to conduct archaeological survey of 2 Civil War shipwrecks in Hampton Roads, Va.

Public release date: 28-Jun-2011
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Contact: Vernon Smith
vernon.smith@noaa.gov
301-713-7248
NOAA Headquarters

NOAA and the U.S. Navy embarked today on a two-day research expedition to survey the condition of two sunken Civil War vessels that have rested on the seafloor of the James River in Hampton Roads, Va., for nearly 150 years.

Using state-of-the-art sonar technology to acquire data, researchers will create three-dimensional maps of the two shipwrecks, USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, to analysis on their current conditions and better understand the technological innovations of the time.

"The remains of the USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, preserved in the waters of Hampton Roads, remind us of the sacrifices made during the Civil War and give us a unique and rare opportunity to explore a pivotal chapter in our nation's history," said David Alberg, superintendent of NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. "NOAA is pleased to be part of a project that increases understanding of America's maritime heritage."

USS Cumberland was lost on March 8, 1862, during the Battle of Hampton Roads, where she served in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She sank after being rammed by the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack) and went down with more than 121 men.

CSS Florida was a Confederate commerce raider which had been captured by the U.S. Navy in Brazil. Towed to United States as a prize despite Brazil's protests, it was lost on Nov. 19, 1864, following a collision with a U.S. Navy troop ferry.

Both vessels are protected by federal law under the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2005, the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, and the Territorial Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the U.S. government exclusive rights to its own property.

"We are extremely excited about this project," said Alexis Catsambis, underwater archaeologist and cultural resource manager of the U.S. Navy's Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC). "The information collected during this project will really increase our understanding of the condition of these wrecks."

The last survey of the USS Cumberland took place in 2007. The expedition will be the first time the CSS Florida will be surveyed by the federal government.

In addition to archaeological and historic significance, this project will also develop education and outreach materials to expand public awareness of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, with sesquicentennial commemoration events throughout 2011.

"The more we learn about our cultural resources, the more we discover about our nation's history and the people who shaped it," said Rear Admiral Jay DeLoach, NHHC director. "The survey work on the USS Cumberland and the CSS Florida will not only improve our understanding of the vessels themselves, but it will help us gather information on the Civil War and the technological innovations of the time and allow us to bring those stories to the public in a way we have not been able to in the past."

The project will take place aboard a NOAA research vessel from the nearby USS Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, which was designated to protect the cultural heritage of its namesake, another shipwreck lost in the Civil War.

Artifacts from the USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, including gun and cannon parts, glassware, and a belt buckle are on permanent exhibit at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, Va.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

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