The Search For Ancient Helike: A Gpr Case Study

In 373 BC, the Classical city of Helike, on the Gulf of Corinth in Greece, was destroyed by a catastrophic<br>earthquake and mass-movement of the deltaic sediments upon which it was built. Due to subsequent burial by<br>sedimentation, and tectonic uplift of the northern Peloponnesos, the ruined site is now believed to be on land. Since 1988,<br>the search for Helike has been conducted using sonar, bore hole drilling, geophysical survey (including magnetometry and<br>GPR), and excavation.<br>In June 1996 we used GPR in seven areas near the presumed site of Helike. Data collected using GSSI’s SIR-2<br>and monostatic 400 MHz antemra achieved a maximum penetration of 3 m using filters and a running weighted average<br>stack. Despite limited resolution and penetration, we observed several hyperbolic targets. One of these was a tile floor<br>dating from the Roman Era. GSSI’s multi-low-frequency bistatic antenna, used in the 80 MHz configuration, achieved<br>depths of approximately 5 to 6 meters in some areas.