Magnetometry

Magnetometry is a type of remote sensing, or archaeological prospection, used by archaeologists to locate archaeological features of varying magnetic properties largely related to differences in certain iron‐based minerals, such as magnetite and maghemite. Magnetometers, the instruments used to make magnetometry measurements, detect two kinds of magnetism: permanently magnetized materials and those materials that react to, or are susceptible to, a magnetic field. Typically, magnetometers are moved back and forth across an area of interest as sample readings of the magnetic field are recorded at set intervals. Such surveys are useful for detecting iron objects, burned earth (e.g., kilns, hearths, and house floors), and the accumulation of topsoil or archaeological midden in subsurface pits, trenches, and ditches.