Ithaca College

Physics and Archaeology as an Interdisciplinary Endeavor

Council of Undergraduate Research Quarterly 30 (2)
CURQ Vignettes: Additional Examples of Undergraduate Research at the Intersection of Disciplines

Physics and Archaeology as an Interdisciplinary Endeavor: Archaeological geophysics uses ground-penetrating radar, conductivity, magnetometry, and resistivity to non-invasively create images of the earth’s subsurface. These images directly address anthropological questions as well as guiding archaeological excavation. As a physicist (PhD) and an archaeologist (MAIS), my research involves both physics and archaeology students. I involve physics students in examining the physical and chemical properties creating our geophysical signals, gathering and processing data, and developing more efficient research methods. Archaeology students excavate, process artifacts, and make anthropological interpretations. What makes this type of research especially fun is that student roles are switched where physics students so some excavation and archaeology students conduct geophysical surveys to broaden their experiences while working in interesting geographical and cultural contexts.