Joint Interpretation of Dissimilar Geophysical Data from Philippi, n. Greece, Using the Curvelet Transform

Image fusion between different types of overlapping data offers significant advantages in archaeological research. For example, it complements the information that exists in images from dissimilar geophysical methods, enhances elusive yet systematic features and can reduce the effect of noisy spurious signals. Such improvements allow the identification of buried structures of archaeological importance with higher accuracy and greater confidence. In this work we use the curvelet transform to combine geophysical images from different modalities to detect possible archaeological targets in Philippi, Northern Greece. We jointly interpret overlapping data from two surveys, one utilizing the method of magnetic gradiometry and another measuring the apparent electrical resistivity. The images show several possible rectangular anomalies whose dominant orientation lies along the azimuths of 0 and 90 degrees which coincide with prior knowledge about this region. We utilize one of the main advantages of the curvelet domain that is the ability to express the imaged features as a function of their orientation and wavelength and we produce fused images that exploit the prior information about dominant building orientations. Our initial results are promising, showing several prominent features and possible excavation targets with sharp rectangular boundaries that possibly depict buried masonry of archaeological interest.