MALÅ GPR part of project revealing Stonehenge secrets

New digital map reveals stunning hidden archaeology of Stonehenge.

Archaeologists combined different instruments to scan the area to a depth of three metres, with unprecedented resolution. One of the systems used was MALÅ MIRA. 

They have unveiled the most detailed map ever produced of the earth beneath Stonehenge and its surrounds. Early results suggest that the iconic monument did not stand alone, but was accompanied by 17 neighbouring shrines.

Future, detailed analysis of this vast collection of data will produce a brand new account of how Stonehenge's landscape evolved over time.

The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project, led by the University of Birmingham in conjunction with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, is the largest project of its kind.

A major new BBC series titled Operation Stonehenge: What Lies Beneath – show that new technology is reshaping how archaeologists understand the landscape of Stonehenge and its development over a period of more than 11,000 years.

"Developing non-invasive methods to document our cultural heritage is one of the greatest challenges of our time and can only be accomplished by adapting the latest technology such as ground-penetrating radar arrays and high-resolution magnetometers", says Professor Wolfgang Neubauer, Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute.

Facts about MALÅ MIRA:
MALÅ Imaging Radar Array (MIRA) is a one-pass 3D system providing a cost-effective solution for large scale ground penetrating radar mapping and subsurface object identification. It is the only system of its kind that seamlessly integrates acquisition, processing, QA/QC, positioning data, interpretation and export of ground penetrating radar data.