Can we talk about using ground-penetrating radar on a site in rural Kentucky?

We were stuck trying to find a pioneer homestead foundation without digging up the whole field, so our professor brought in a GPR unit from the university. After a day of scanning, we got clear subsurface images showing a rectangular stone structure exactly where the old maps said it should be. Has anyone else had success with GPR for locating early American settlements?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_craig42mo ago

What depth settings did you run on the GPR? We had to tweak ours a bunch in clay soil to get past the first foot of noise, it made ALL the difference.

blair_green862mo ago

Check for old wells, @mila_craig4. Could mess with your readings.

lewis.drew1mo ago

Did you try sticking a tape measure down an old well and see if it comes back wet? I'm asking because that's exactly how I found out ours wasn't an old well, just a deep puddle that used to be a septic tank.