Data copyright © Dr Justin Dix unless otherwise stated
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Dr
Justin
Dix
Lecturer
Ocean and Earth Science
University of Southampton
Avenue Campus
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
England
Tel: 023 8059 3057
The High resolution sonar for the archaeological investigation of marine aggregate deposits project was undertaken by the University of Southampton and funded through the English Heritage disbursed Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. The project investigated the potential of state-of-the-art, high-resolution, sonar systems for the investigation of marine aggregate bodies for archaeological material.
This project aimed to tackle fundamental problems to the detailed archaeological investigation of coarse grained aggregate deposits. This aim was achieved through the optimisation of new Chirp sources, developed by the School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, in conjunction with GeoAcoustics Ltd, Great Yarmouth, specifically for the penetration of coarse grained materials. These sources have been deployed in both 2D and 3D modes. The latter has utilised a brand new design for the acquisition of high-resolution data volumes (a SOES-GeoAcoustics Ltd design) capable of imaging objects and layers beneath the seabed that are greater than 0.5 m in lateral extent, thicker than 0.2 m and down to a depth of 15 m beneath the seabed. This work has encompassed extant data collected in 2002, during the initial trial period of the SOES 3D-Chirp system, as well as extant core and seismic data made available by Hanson Marine Ltd. The sites targeted for data acquisition as well as those already surveyed have all been of intrinsic archaeological importance and in many cases will compliment other ALSF projects already funded (e.g. Imperial College, Hampshire & Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology and Hosfield PD 3361).