Infrared Scanning and Historic Archaeology: A Discussion

Please join Dr. Christine E. Boston for her Title III Presentation: Infrared Scanning and Historic Archaeology: A Discussion. This presentation will address the uses and implications of infrared scanning in historical archaeology. Infrared scanning is a noninvasive geophysical survey technique that measures heat differences in the subsoil and on the ground surface. This technique has been used in various archaeological investigations to locate subsurface features, but these investigations have largely been limited to prehistoric archaeological sites and large features. This presentation will address the use of infrared scanning in a historical archaeological context and specifically in locating smaller features. The uses of infrared scanning and the results of an infrared scan undertaken at the Don Carlos Site, a historic site in mid-Missouri, will be addressed, explaining the utility and obstacles of this technique for these types of inquiries.