ABSTRACT
In 2006 a group of Humanities professors created Agustin de Horozco Seminar for Economic Studies in Ancient and Medieval History. At this moment the focus of the research was on Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Position System (GPS) for spatial georeferentiation of historical events. This framework was co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).
The main projects were RIPARIA and AQVA DVCTA. The former is a Research Project about SW Spain wetlands in Ancient and Medieval times. It was financed by the National Fund of Economy, Ministry of Spain. Aqua Ducta was a punctual study about the Roman waterway to Gades (nowadays Cadiz) financed by Agriculture Authority of the regional Autonomous Government. Hence, from this basis in 2015 the Seminar participated in a new proposal for technological framework of the Spanish Ministry of Economy. Our aim was reinforcing the GPS system with the Differential GPS (DGPS), together with a GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar).
The focus in this case means a further step/advance in spatial knowledge: the creation of the UCA Georadar Unit. Since the spring of 2016 our team have worked with two GPR Systems, the Stream X and HiMod. In the first case sixteen antennas worked in a whole carry on a 4 × 4 vehicle, fifteen kilometers per hour in the best conditions. The DGPS is included from Leica Geosystems. And the results explained in radiograms is possible to translate in a 3D images. The software we use for this is GPR Slice. In the second we work without DGPS and we need to design a grid for locating the HiMod position. We display the images with the OneVision software, from IDS Corporation, like the full of the GPR advices.
After the respective training courses the Stream X was applied in the Phoenician settlement of Castillo de Doña Blanca, for testing the results in a well-known local area. Then we tested the equipment in the Manchon del Hierro, an unidentified site. Results were astonishing in both sites. The first Season of Georadar Activity was implemented at Mesas de Asta site. The HiMod did its first activity in Puerto Real Maior Church, searching for underground graves and funerary structures.
