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Sains Malaysiana 51(2)(2022): 389-403
http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5102-06
Locating Graves in Different Soil Types and
Burial Ages in Pulau Pinang using Ground Penetrating
Radar
(Mengesan Kubur dalam Pelbagai Jenis Tanah dan Umur Perkuburan di Pulau Pinang menggunakan Radar Tusukan Bumi)
IFFAH ZALIKHA ROSLAN,
MUHAMAD HAFIZUDDIN MOHD MANSOR, NAJMIAH ROSLI, NABILAH HUSNA ABDULLAH SANUSI
& NUR AZWIN ISMAIL*
Geophysics Program, School
of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Received: 2 October 2020/Accepted:
7 June 2021
ABSTRACT
Ground-penetration radar (GPR) is a geophysical
tool widely applied in archaeological and forensic research, such as
identifying the exact position of graves. A detailed GPR survey was conducted
on the cemeteries in Permatang Pasir and Titi Teras, Penang
Island. Moving a 500 MHz GPR antenna along parallel transects inside grids was
used to collect data. The study's aim was to present two case studies with
varying soil types and burial ages. Analysis
of reflection shape, reflection
strength and signal polarity helped in the interpretation of burial anomalies.
The results varied depending on the soil type; in the sandy field, the GPR
investigations were clearer and less complicated than in the clayey sand field.
When the conditions are ideal (low conductivity areas with little vegetation),
GPR provides highly informative and precise results. Time-slices
representations were used as a method to provide details about the subsurface
reflection at a certain depth.
Keywords: Burial ages; GPR; graves; soil type;
time-slices
ABSTRAK
Radar tusukan bumi (GPR) adalah alat geofizik yang banyak digunakan dalam penyelidikan arkeologi dan forensik, seperti mengenal pasti kedudukan kubur yang tepat. Tinjauan GPR secara terperinci dilakukan di tanah perkuburan di Permatang Pasir dan Titi Teras, Pulau Pinang. Menggerakkan antena GPR 500 MHz di sepanjang transek selari dalam grid digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengemukakan dua kajian kes dalam pelbagai jenis tanah dan usia perkuburan. Analisis bentuk pantulan, kekuatan pantulan dan kekutuban isyarat membantu dalam penafsiran anomali perkuburan. Hasilnya berbeza-beza bergantung kepada jenis tanah; di kawasan berpasir, kajian GPR lebih jelas dan kurang rumit daripada di kawasan pasir berlumpur. Apabila keadaannya sesuai (persekitaran kekonduksian rendah dengan sedikit tumbuh-tumbuhan), GPR memberikan hasil yang sangat bermaklumat dan tepat. Hirisan masa digunakan sebagai kaedah untuk memberikan perincian mengenai pantulan permukaan bawah tanah pada kedalaman tertentu.
Kata kunci: GPR; hirisan masa; jenis tanah; kubur; umur perkuburan
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*Corresponding author; email: nurazwin@usm.my
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