Electrical resistance survey (archaeology)

Do you remember playing the game Hot and Cold where you had to find something hidden and your friends would say "you're getting warmer" or "you're getting colder"? An electrical resistance survey is kind of like that game but instead of looking for something hidden, we look for things buried in the ground that are really old and might teach us something about history.

When we use an electrical resistance survey in archaeology, we use a special machine that sends a small electric current through the ground. The electric current is like a magic wand that helps us find out what's hiding under the surface. This electric current finds anything that is hard or has lots of minerals, like rocks or even old buildings that were buried a long time ago.

When the electric current finds something underground, like an old building, it has to go through it. And just like when you're walking outside and you try to go through a big puddle, the water is harder to go through than the normal ground. When the electric current goes through something hard, it slows down and it's a clue that there's something buried underground.

The machine tells us how much the electric current slowed down and gives us a picture of what might be underground. It's like an x-ray but for the ground! Archaeologists use this information to make a map of what's under the ground without having to dig or disturb anything.

By using an electrical resistance survey, archaeologists are able to discover and learn about buried things from long ago, like old buildings, pottery, and tools. It's like being a detective and using magic to find out about the past!