A Geoarcheological Investigation in Medieval Coastal Dunes using Ground-Penetrating Radar

In the sea harbor of IJmuiden, the Netherlands, a sandy island was removed. In the light of high archeological expectance a geoarcheological inventory was compulsory prior to the digging and dredging. Prospective geoarcheological research in aeolian environments concerns a standard procedure involving the determination of paleosols by borings. The paleosols were found at the site obliging digging of an inventory trench. Before the trenching a 100 MHz ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted yielding a penetration depth of about 6 to 7 m. Rationale was to deduce the suitability of GPR for prospecting geoarcheological research in coastal dunes. Radar facies units were compared with observations in the trench. Furthermore, 14C and OSL dating of molluscs and sediments was done.