GPR survey to explore social stratification in a pre-Islamic burial area at Mleiha, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)

This paper presents an archaeological GPR prospection at Mleiha (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates), occupied between the 3rd century Be and the 4th century AD. The aim of the survey was to explore a necropolis near the eastern border of the site. Four parallel 500 MHz GPR antennas were towed behind a four-wheel drive vehicle. Positioning occurred by means of a robotic total station. Processing included de-striping (because of amplitude differences between the channels), migration and topographic correction. For the velocity determination, migration velocity analysis was used. Heavy rainfall during the prospection changed the moisture conditions, so varying wave velocities were used for the time-to-depth conversion. Several square tomb-towers were detected. All have marks that they have been plundered (a hole in the middle of the structure). Some small circular anomalies, initially interpreted as pit burials, after excavation proved to be the result of water absorption by plant roots. In general, the simple burials, located in the marl below a shallow loamy sand layer, were harder to detect by GPR.