Gamma-ray spectrometry: a new tool for exploring archaeological sites; a case study from East Sinai, Egypt

In geophysical literature the application of gamma-ray spectrometric (GRS) methods in archaeological exploration is not known. This paper demonstrates the applicability of the GRS technique to archaeological exploration. The study was conducted in the Tell Abu Seef area, which is located similar to 6 km from El-Qantara city, Egypt where some buried walls (of possible archaeological interest) were detected in 1981. The recorded K% values as well as the readings of total gamma-ray intensities were related to two different radiometric areas that match the building remains and the surrounding sediments. The highest concentrations of K% coincide with the wall remains, which consist of muddy material. Lower values of K% were found in the surrounding media, which consists of Quaternary sediments. The contrast between the building remains and the surrounding sediments is so clear that it is obvious that GRS is capable of offering solutions to important archaeological problems. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.