Geophysical Diagnostics of Heritage and Archaeology

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1135

Special Issue Editor

School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: applied geophysics; GPR; archaeology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of cultural heritage and archaeology focuses on physical remains and material artifacts. Globally, numerous precious heritage sites require diagnostic assessment for conservation and protection. Furthermore, field archaeology often involves prospecting buried structures concealed by vegetation, soil, or water. However, excavation can cause irreversible damage, making non-invasive geophysical techniques increasingly essential.

Geophysical methods accurately identify, image, and map the spatial extent and geometries of near-surface archaeological features in a non-destructive and cost-effective manner. Recent advances in field acquisition, processing, and especially intelligent data interpretation have significantly enhanced these capabilities over the past decade.

This Special Issue will provide a platform for discussing cutting-edge geophysical technologies applied to heritage preservation and archaeological research. Through multidisciplinary case studies, we seek to foster exchange between applied geophysicists and cultural heritage experts, promote disciplinary development, and pave the way for more effective and innovative approaches in the future.

Dr. Wenke Zhao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • geophysical diagnostics
  • magnetic method
  • electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)
  • ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
  • cultural heritage protection
  • field archaeology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 16146 KB  
Article
Inside the Sarcophagus: Non-Destructive Testing of a Medieval Tomb in the Cathedral of Bamberg (Germany)
by Roland Linck, Johanna Skrotzki, Andreas Stele, Tatjana Hecher and Jörg W. E. Fassbinder
Heritage 2026, 9(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020048 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 688
Abstract
In recent years, digital technologies have become increasingly prevalent in the field of heritage protection. In addition to geomatic techniques like laser scanning (LiDAR) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM), geophysical methods, especially Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), offer added value for investigating protected buildings and objects. Additionally, [...] Read more.
In recent years, digital technologies have become increasingly prevalent in the field of heritage protection. In addition to geomatic techniques like laser scanning (LiDAR) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM), geophysical methods, especially Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), offer added value for investigating protected buildings and objects. Additionally, chemical analysis (e.g., X-ray fluorescence, XRF) and mineral magnetic methods can be utilized to investigate specific research topics. All these methods are completely non-invasive and leave the heritage site untouched. Furthermore, they are cost-efficient and fast to use. Within this paper, we want to present an integrated study of a medieval sarcophagus in Bamberg Cathedral. The geophysical surveys via GPR and magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements should answer open questions regarding the construction and internal layout of the sandstone sarcophagus, dated to the Early or High Middle Ages. The susceptibility data indicated an inner lead coffin in the lower part behind the stone slabs due to an unusual diamagnetic response in these parts. In contrast, the GPR data gave no such indication and revealed that the interior is too small for a direct burial of the bishop. Hence, an additional XRF survey was conducted to help solve this contradiction. The latter data indicate that the lead could be due to remains of a former painting on the sarcophagus with colours containing lead white pigments. Due to the porous sandstone, the moist environmental conditions, and the high weight of the lead elements, these could have accumulated at the bottom of the sarcophagus, creating the diamagnetism detected by the magnetic susceptibility measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geophysical Diagnostics of Heritage and Archaeology)
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