The Application of Earth-Resistivity Surveys to Australian Archaeological Sites

Location of buried archaeological features using earth-resistivity surveying is an established procedure. Its application to Australian sites is long overdue. In this paper, an outline of the physical principles governing the method is given, along with a description of the field technique commonly used. The associated computer-assisted analysis of results utilizing RESPLOT software is also outlined. The authors, Don Ranson of the Victoria Archaeological Survey and Brian Egloff of ANUTECH, Canberra, then discuss two cases where earth-resistivity surveying has been successfully used. These are, first, the location of an Aboriginal burial ground at Wybalenna on Flinders Island and, second, the location of landscape features at Port Arthur, Tasmania. They conclude that earth-resistivity surveying has widespread application in Australia.