North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Great Hopewell Road, OH;
Reference: Simpson, D. and K.L. Kvamme (2001). Final Report of Geophysical Investigations at the Great Hopewell Road, Cynthia Street Park, Heath, Ohio. Archeo-Imaging Lab, Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Submitted to the Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio.
The ArcheoImaging Lab of the University of Arkansas conducted exploratory geophysical work at Cynthia Street Park in Heath, Ohio on the 19th of May, 2001, in an effort to identify a section of a Hopewell road alignment. This work was carried out in conjunction with Brad Lepper of the Ohio Historical Society. Two distinct geophysical survey techniques were employed at Heath: magnetic gradiometry, and electrical resistivity. Both methods were used over a 2,000 square meter area.
The magnetic gradiometer data from the survey produced few culturally patterned anomalies. A large pin-wheel anomaly in eastern portion of the survey area probably represents a large piece of metal. Additional semi-linear features exist farther to the west, but these have little in common with the resistance data.
There were a number of anomalies in the resistance data, many of which may be attributed to such natural phenomena as tree throws or ground hog burrows. Additional anomalies may be due to modifications associated with the town or park during the recent historic period. There are two linear anomalies that trend southwest to northeast through the survey area and could potentially represent the earthen wall enclosures of the road. An intriguing aspect of a series of semicircular resistance anomalies in the eastern portion of the survey area is that they are all contained within the breadth of the proposed prehistoric road walls. Acheological testing, or additional geophysical grids are necessary to properly define the road signature in this area of the park.