Key Words: Ground Penetrating Radar, Clandestine Burials, Geophysical Applications in Anthropology, Historic Cemeteries introduction and purpose

Ground Penetrating Radar Overview and Applications in Archaeology and Forensic Science with a Focus on Florida Kevin Gidusko University of Central Florida Anthropology Department
ANG 6918 Dr. John J. Schultz July 25, 2014

ABSTRACT
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a geological prospection tool appropriated from fields in the natural sciences into anthropological research that provides a relatively quick and nondestructive method of investigating the near subsurface of a site. Originally utilized for archaeological investigations, including the location and delimitation of historic cemeteries, GPR has recently begun to play a larger role in forensic science. Ground Penetrating Radar can provide the forensic investigator with a noninvasive method of locating clandestine burials. This paper provides an overview of GPR and applications in the fields of archaeology and forensic investigations. Special attention is paid to the utilization of GPR in the detection of cemetery graves and further possible research in this area.
Key Words: Ground Penetrating Radar, Clandestine Burials, Geophysical Applications in Anthropology, Historic Cemeteries

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is increasingly important to archaeological and forensic investigations (Isaacson et al., 1999; Leckebusch, 2003; Ruffell and McKinley, 2005; Morgan and Bull, 2007; Schultz, 2007; Schultz and Dupras, 2008; Wardlaw, 2009; Conyers and
Leckebusch, 2010; Pringle et al., 2012). Ground Penetrating Radar, as with other geophysical applications in archaeology and forensic sciences, provides researchers with a relatively quick, noninvasive, and increasingly more precise representation of anomalies at the near subsurface at a given site. Relative to the manpower required to survey a site utilizing invasive methods such as shovel surveys, GPR is more cost effective in terms of both the number of individuals and the time required to carryout a site investigation (Johnson and Haley, 2006). Ground Penetrating Radar has been used in a wide variety of archaeological sites and contexts from investigations into Roman era burial tombs in Egypt (Shaaban et alto mass graves in North West Ireland (Ruffell et alto the remains of a Middle Archaic shell monument along the St. Johns River in Florida (Sassaman et al., 2011). More recently, GPR has become an important tool for forensic investigations as well, utilized often to detect clandestine burials (Unterberger,
1992; Mellett, a Miller, 1996; Nobes, 2000; Davenport, 2001; Ruffell and McKinley, 2004; Morgan and Bull, 2007; Schultz, 2007; Schultz and Dupras, 2008; Billinger, 2009; Novo et al.
2011; Conklin et al.; Pringle et al., 2012). Because of the aforementioned factors and its persistent integration into current research we may expect that GPR will continue to bean integral aspect of archaeological and forensic investigations for the foreseeable future. As such, it is worthwhile to become more aware of this technology and to determine what future avenues of research this important tool will provide researchers. The purpose of this paper is to provide

an overview of GPR principles and methods. This will include overviews of GPR use in archaeological and forensic contexts with a case study presented for illustration. A special focus is paid to previous and possible future research in the state of Florida.