Discovery of new Iron Age groove-type features from Michałowice in 2010. A geophysical case study

The archaeological site in Michałowice is located in south-eastern Poland within the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Czarnocin commune. It is thus far the only known site with over a dozen excavated groove-type burials attributed to the Roman Iron Age of the Przeworsk Culture.In 2010 a small geophysical test survey was commissioned encompassing an area of 50×30m. Amongst the many geophysical techniques available for such an investigation, the magnetic method was chosen. The aim of the survey was first of all to test whether the local archaeological features that were assumed to exist within the site, such as groove-type square burial enclosures, urn graves and possible settlement pits or even anthropogenic sediments, would generate a clear, interpretable geophysical anomaly. For this purpose a Bartington Grad601-Dual fluxgate gradiometer was used. Data was collected in parallel traverses with 1×0.12m sampling and within one 30×30m and one 20×30m grid. The systematic analysis and mapping of the anomalies registered with magnetic prospecting confirmed the presence of buried archaeological structures, revealing new details of the Michałowice sepulchral complex. Although the study area was relatively small, the amount of new information acquired from the survey was overwhelming. What came as a surprise is that all of these anomalies were located in an area presumed to be a peripheral part of the archaeological site. Thanks to the experiences of the 2010 survey, the capabilities of the magnetic method on this specific site have been thoroughly investigated and evaluated positively. For now, a basic modus operandi for interpreting magnetic data for Michałowice has been created, which hopefully will serve as a roadmap or reference for future integrated non-invasive approaches in the region.