Geophysical research of archaeological sites with presumed ironworking activity on the example of the sites of Bakovčice, Nađbarice, and Ždala

U okviru opsežnoga terenskog pregleda obavljenoga za potrebe projekta TransFER prikupljeni površinski nalazi ukazivali su kako su se na položajima Bakovčice – Velike livade 1, Nađbarice 1 i Ždala – Telek odvijale aktivnosti povezane s proizvodnjom željeza. Uz fragmente talioničke zgure nesumnjivo povezane s proizvodnjom željeza, među površinskim nalazima pronađeni su brojni ulomci keramike iz različitih povijesnih razdoblja. S ciljem jasnijega definiranja karaktera nalazišta odabranih na osnovi analiza površinskih nalaza, pristupilo se neinvazivnim, geofizičkim istraživanjima primjenom magnetske metode. U svim se slučajevima radi o površinama s intenzivnom poljoprivrednom obradom zemljišta, pa se mogla očekivati slabija očuvanost arheoloških ostataka i preme tome i slabije magnetske anomalije. To je bio dosta ozbiljan izazov za arheološki rječitu obradu magnetograma, ali je na više mjesta potvrđeno postojanje ostataka željezarskih aktivnosti in situ ispod razine oranja, dok se ostaci željezarskih djelatnosti u velikoj mjeri nalaze u sloju oranice. Na osnovi svih karakterističnih magnetskih anomalija, uspjelo se odrediti približne granice područja aktivnosti za proizvodnju željeza. Ovo je geofizičko istraživanje značajno za teoretska razmatranja korelacija rezultata terenskoga pregleda i geofizičkih istraživanja za usavršavanje metodologije arheološke prospekcije kao i za određivanje mjera zaštite arheološke baštine, budući da potvrđuje već dobro poznatu činjenicu da arheološki ostaci na primarnome mjestu na poljoprivrednim površinama sa sve intenzivnijom obradom zemljišta s vremenom postepeno nestaju.The surface finds collected in an extensive field review carried out for the needs of the TransFER project pointed to iron production activities in the locations of Bakovčice – Velike Livade 1, Nađbarice 1, and Ždala – Telek. The surface finds included fragments of smelting slag, undoubtedly associated with iron production, but also numerous potsherds from different historical periods. In order to define more clearly the character of the sites chosen after the analyses of surface finds, it was decided to undertake non-invasive geophysical research using the magnetic method. These are all areas with intensive agricultural activity, so it was expected that there would be poor preservation of archaeological remains and, therefore, weaker magnetic anomalies. This was a rather serious challenge for the archaeologically eloquent processing of magnetograms, but the existence of the remains of ironworks activities in situ below the plough zone was confirmed in several places, while the remains of ironworks activities are largely found in the arable layer. On the basis of all the characteristic magnetic anomalies, they managed to determine the approximate boundaries of the area of iron production activity. This geophysical survey is significant for the theoretical considerations of the correlation between the results of field surveys and geophysical research for improving the methodology of archaeological prospecting and for determining the measures for the protection of archaeological heritage, since it confirms the well-known fact that the archaeological remains on the primary location in agricultural areas with ever more intensive cultivation gradually disappear over time