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Archaeology

Magnetic trace of a giant henge

Nature volume 390, pages 232–233 (1997)Cite this article

Magnetic susceptibility is the ability of a material to become magnetized by a magnetic field (such as the Earth's). Archaeological features may have a higher or lower magnetic susceptibility than the surrounding soil, and such variations can be detected using a magnetometer. Many archaeological sites have been surveyed in this way.

Anticipating that Stanton Drew would show only weak magnetic anomalies, the team from the Ancient Monuments Laboratory of English Heritage adapted their survey to make it as sensitive as possible. A narrow sampling interval was used, and their magnetometer was modified so that the lower sensor was as close to the ground as possible.

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Figure 1: The newly discovered wooden henge of Stanton Drew.

ENGLISH HERITAGE

References

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  1. the Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK

    Elizabeth Aveling

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  1. Elizabeth Aveling
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Aveling, E. Magnetic trace of a giant henge. Nature 390, 232–233 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/36734

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