Geophysıcs

In the first field season of Konya Karahöyük excavations (2022), geophysical surveys were conducted using both GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) and magnetic methods. The GPR equipment used was the GSSI UtilityScan with a central frequency of 350 HS, while the magnetometer used was the Geometrics G-858 MagMapper, a caesium vapor magnetometer. The profile spacing was set at 0.25 meters for GPR and 0.5 meters for the geomagnetic survey.
Considering the morphology of the mound, magnetic surveying was primarily favored for detecting walls. GPR was employed in areas where the method was morphologically applicable and could provide useful insights compared to the magnetic survey results. In total, we covered an area of approximately 4,400 square meters with GPR, with a selected penetration depth of 3 meters. Magnetic surveying was applied to approximately 1.2 hectares. The data collection process took two weeks, with the GPR dataset being processed using ReflexW and the magnetic data being processed using MagPick software.

Based on the geophysical survey results, several architectural remnants were identified. Due to the more successful results from the magnetic survey compared to the GPR results and considering the mound's morphology, it was decided in the second year of excavation to continue with magnetic surveying. In the second year (2023), magnetic surveying was applied to 1 hectare. The field survey spanned three days, and the preliminary results provided valuable insights into the underground architecture. In the coming years, the plan is to continue the magnetic survey all around the mound to gain a clearer understanding of its architecture.