Geophysical approaches to the archaeological prospection of early modern battlefield landscapes: a review of methods and objectives.

Abstract

This paper reviews methodological approaches in battlefield archaeology with a focus on sites of the early modern period, ca. 17th-19th century. The challenges associated with the prospection of these sites partially explains the relative lack of serious research in this area until the late 20th century. While acknowledging the foundational role of conventional metal detection in overcoming these difficulties, it is argued that other less widely deployed geophysical methods should be increasingly used as part of an integrated approach to studying battlefield landscapes. Targets of interest are reviewed alongside the geophysical properties that might enable their detection and a selection of case studies successfully deploying these approaches within battlefield archaeology and adjacent disciplines are considered.