GPR for Archaeology

Collecting, processing and interpreting ground-penetrating radar (GPR)


GPR Books

Here are the books I have written (and co-written) on GPR, which are available at the sites below:

Now in press August, 2023 the 4th edition of my first book on GPR for Archaeology.

This book has been completely revised and added to, making it very different from its 3rd edition (2013).  It contains all new figures, updated sections on many of the recent GPR technologies, and many new ideas on where this field has gone in the last 10 years and where it is going.  I spent some time going back through many of my surveys during the last 20 years and discussed some interesting ways that my ideas have changed over that time and what I have learned about radar, the ground, and data processing and interpretation.  I hope it is fun to read, and interesting to those of you who work with GPR in archaeology but also other fields. 

It can be ordered here:

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538179352/Ground-Penetrating-Radar-for-Archaeology-Fourth-Edition

Below are some of the reviews that were solicited by the publisher before the 4th edition went to press:

  • This book provides an excellent guide for archaeologists and geophysicists who are studying GPR for archeology. Lawrence B. Conyers puts his fingers on the most modern advances in the GPR technology and presents a wide range of information that offers a comprehensive picture of using this method in archeology. Mohammed AL-Hameedawi, archeogeophysicist, Smart Line Geophysical Survey, Baghdad, Iraq
  • This book has been an essential introduction and reference for GPR survey in archaeology. This updated edition now includes many of the new developments in the field from the last decade and is the best introduction to this important component of the archaeologist’s toolkit. Dr. Kris Lockyear, Institute of Archaeology, University College London
  • This volume is essential reading for GPR novices and professionals. Accessible, engaging, and at times entertaining, the volume adeptly covers history, theory, method, and interpretation of GPR. It is packed with technical details, real-life examples, practical advice, and opinions formed over decades of experience. The book straddles the past, present, and future of GPR, with great respect for data and the nuts-and-bolts of GPR work from collecting to interpreting and presenting data. Andy Creekmore, Ph.D., professor and chair, department of anthropology, University of Northern Colorado
  • Drawing upon the latest research, using examples from around the globe, and covering all the fundamentals, Professor Conyers fourth edition is an invaluable resource for archaeologists and geophysicists alike. Emma St Pierre, director, RADARch Archaeological and Geophysical Consulting, New Zealand
  • This fully revised edition is the most comprehensive and insightful guide to GPR in archaeological prospection. Peppered with personal anecdotes from three decades researching the method around the world, prospection pioneer Lawrence Conyers generously shares his knowledge. A must-read for students, practitioners, researchers, and anyone wishing to fundamentally understand the royal discipline of archaeo-geophysics.  Immo Trinks, associate professor of geoarchaeology, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Lawrence Conyers’ book remains essential reading for anyone looking to use the GPR method to study or manage the archaeological record. With this 4th edition, Conyers expertly weaves the developments of the past decade with his signature story-telling style, resulting in an exceptionally informative and accessible book. Jennie O. Sturm, Ph.D., RPA, geophysics program director, Statistical Research, Inc., New Mexico. 
  • Lawrence Conyers’ book is a comprehensive guide to ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology and its application in archaeology. It covers everything from the basic principles of GPR to processing and visualization in a language everyone can understand. The book is a must-read and essential resource for understanding and applying GPR for non-destructive archaeology. Arne Anderson Stamnes, senior researcher, department of archaeology and cultural heritage, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • From survey design to data interpretation, Ground-Penetrating Radar for Archaeology shows how GPR can provide unique information to support archaeological research, while warning archaeologists this can only be achieved through thorough understanding of the principles, potentials, and pitfalls of the method. Complementing existing works on GPR theory, practical insights on these aspects are exactly what this book provides.  Philippe De Smedt, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium

A  November, 2021 book in Spanish, written with co-author Adolfo Martinez from Monterrey, Mexico.  We collaborated on this so that it can be about both archaeology and geotechnical applications.  Adolfo is the magician who make this all work in Spanish.  We also to produced a Spanish glossary in the back for the technical GPR words in Spanish (some of which we have invented ourselves).

Georadar Aplicado en Geotecnia y Arqueología

get a free pdf copy of it by clicking on this link below:

Georadar Aplicado en Geotecnia y Arqueología_final

 

 

 

 

Ground-penetrating Radar and Magnetometry for Buried Landscape Analysis.

In this book I use a number of examples from around the world on how these geophysical tools can be used in conjunction to understand complex buried archaeological sites.

Published by Springer, Amsterdam

You can order it here

gpr_geoarchaeology_book

Ground-penetrating Radar for Geoarchaeology

Here is my book, which came out in March 2016

Many examples and methods on how to apply GPR to complex geological situations, with sedimentary environments categorized and various soil types and stratigraphic conditions.

Published by Wiley-Blackwell, London.

You can order it here

 

Ground-penetrating Radar for Archaeology, 3rd Edition (2013)

This is a much revised 3rd edition to my 2004 book that is theory, method, data interpretation and analysis, with many examples from sites all over the world.

Published by Rowman and Littlefield, Lantham, Maryland, USA

You can order it here

Here are the Amazon review of this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Penetrating-Radar-Archaeology-Geophysical-Methods-ebook/dp/B00DMZEXRG/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ground+penetrating+radar+for+archaeology&qid=1562007366&s=books&sr=1-2#customerReviews

interpreting

Interpreting Ground-penetrating Radar for Archaeology (2012)

I spent a good amount of time writing this book as a way to show what can be done with GPR data.  My thought was that people needed to know much more than just how to collect and process data, to produce interesting images.  They need to know what to do with it when they are finished with the processing.  So this book is all about that type of interpretative analysis, which is also important to do within the string of data processing steps.

Published by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

You can order it here

here are the Amazon review of this book.  I know none of these people!

https://www.amazon.com/Interpreting-Ground-penetrating-Archaeology-Lawrence-Conyers/dp/1611322170/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=interpreting+ground-penetrating+radar+for+archaeology&qid=1562007772&s=books&sr=1-1#customerReviews

bookThe first book on the subject of GPR is out of press in English (and outdated too!): Conyers and Goodman (1998).  But can be bought used here:

https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9780761989271?invid=15206499728&utm_campaign=NMPi_Smart_Shopping&utm_term=NMPi_Smart_Shopping&ds_rl=1264488&ds_rl=1264488&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5tzw06vh8wIVrGpvBB21egjqEAYYAiABEgLhIfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

It was translated into Italian (re-titled Ground-penetrating Radar: Un’introduzione per glib archeologi

Available from Aracne editrice in Rome. It was translated by Giovanni Leucci, who knows GPR well. I hear from my Italian friends that it is quite readable.

you can order it here