2017_Ground to air and back again: Archaeological prospection to characterize prehispanic agricultural practices in the high-altitude Atacama (Chile (original) (raw)
Related papers
2017
In this paper we present an overview of the process of mapping and field surveying of an area of ancient fields and irrigation canals around the pre-Hispanic sites of Topaín, Paniri and Turi, in the Andean highlands of northern Chile. As opposed to the usual conditions for prospection in temperate or tropical regions, where the surface visibility of archaeological features is often poor and confusing, here the extreme aridity of the landscape has permitted an extraordinary degree of both preservation and visibility of the fields, canals and other constructions. A field methodology based on a combination of an aerial approach (with relatively low-cost resources: high resolution satellite images, GIS, UAV) and field survey has allowed us not only to document the sites but to inject some order into a large assembly of archaeological features: to understand how the system as a whole was built, and how it evolved and changed in time, thus allowing for the proposal of a sound hypothetical sequence of the use and transformation of this area before and after the Inka period.
2016
The paper summarizes the contribution of UAV to the documentation of a vast group of late Prehispanic agrarian elements (fields, irrigation canals) in the arid Atacama area (northern Chile). Taking advantage of the extraordinary preservation and visibility of fields, canals and other constructions, the general mapping of the area was based on a combination of visual interpretation of high resolution satellite images (GeoEye 1) and fieldwork. However, despite their high resolution, satellite images did not provide sufficient detail of some areas. A more detailed approach was needed to produce an adequate documentation of fields, settlement areas and singular constructions. An SFM-based photogrammetry approach was carried out, based on a low cost UAV (Dji Phantom) and a consumer-grade compact digital camera for the acquisition of low altitude aerial images that allowed the generation of 3D models and orthoimages of some areas. Finally, ground based photogrammetry was also used to capture and represent some elements in greater detail. The main result has been the construction of a highly detailed and accurate map of a complex group of archaeological structures, which has been used since for the analysis and interpretation of the area, and also for the design of new fieldwork seasons.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing archaeology in recent years has emphasized the use of high-precision and high-accuracy tools to achieve the detailed documentation of archaeological elements (drones, LIDAR, etc.). Satellite remote sensing has also benefited from an increase in the spatial and spectral resolution of the sensors, which is enabling the discovery and documentation of new archaeological features and sites worldwide. While there can be no doubt that a great deal is being gained via such “site detection” approaches, there still remains the possibility of further exploring remote sensing methods to analyse archaeological problems. In this paper, this issue is discussed by focusing on one common archaeological topic: the mapping of environmental resources used in the past and, in particular, the procurement of lithic raw material by hunter-gatherer groups. This is illustrated by showing how the combined use of Landsat 8 images and “ground-truthing” via focused field studies has allowed the id...
Relationships Between Archaeology and Landscape in Two Preandean Valleys from Northwest Argentina
The purpose of this research was to compare prehispanic settlement patterns as a response to geomorphological landforms. Two preandean valleys from northwest Argentina (Tafí and La Ciénega) were studied from the geomorphological and archaeological point of view. The prehispanic human occupation of these areas were belonging to Tafí Culture (360 BC to 800 AC), and the most significant difference are their altitudinal locations together with the geomorphological characteristics of each area. After to make a systematic photointerpretation of both areas we construct a GIS using archaeological, geomorphological and topographical information. We conclude that prehispanic settlements were adequate to different use preferences. La Ciénega valley, wich dominant geomorphological landforms are erosion glacis were mostly used as cattle area, while Tafí valley was used for residential settlement as well as for agricultural exploitation.
Domestic agricultural terrace systems located in the basin of Mexico were the basis of prehispanic economic specialization and also the most widespread form of intensive cultivation in piedmont areas. This paper focuses on the remote sensing detection and field testing of potential scenarios to recover evidence of these prehispanic features. The testing area of this article is located in the piedmont of cerro San Lucas, Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. The site was selected after consulting historical and archaeological documents, followed by aerial prospection. In addition, the interpretation of aerial digital images and the application of specific software for automated image analyses provided a unique set of tools for generating spatial predictions about the prehispanic household distribution at cerro San Lucas. During terrestrial surveys we corroborated that the detection quality of predicted archaeological sites by means of photo-interpretation and automated image analyses was acceptable, but insufficient to locate archaeological sites. The field reconnaissance was followed by a program of geophysical survey combining three different methods: magnetic gradient, ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity. Based on the geophysical data results one sample site was excavated mainly to test the evidence previously collected. The cumulative results were invaluable in order to obtain: (1) a remote localization of some potential domestic agricultural spaces, (2) the field identification of a Late Postclassic aztec household unit (1490 B.P.), (3) relevant information about the ecological and archaeological context and (4) a basis for an accurate site selection conducive to extensive excavation. Resumen Los sistemas agrícolas domésticos en terraza localizados en la cuenca de México fueron la base de la especialización económica prehispánica así como la forma más extensa del cultivo intensivo en las áreas de piedemonte. El presente trabajo se enfoca en la detección de escenarios potenciales para recuperar la evidencia de esos rasgos prehispánicos, mediante técnicas de percepción remota y pruebas de campo. El área de interés de este artículo está situada en el piedemonte del cerro San Lucas,
Drones, 2022
The scope and scientific purpose of this paper focuses on multiscale (aerial and terrestrial) photogrammetry as a support to investigations and interpretations in a multi-component archaeological site located in the Argentinian Cordillera (Calchaquí, Salta), known as Tacuil. Due to its scarce accessibility, as well as long-term problems associated with the interpretation of the visibility of this type of settlement, the use of aerial surveying was combined with the reconstruction of structures and complex soil morphologies by resorting to modern photogrammetric approaches (3D models and orthophotos). This dataset was complemented by a terrestrial survey to obtain extremely high resolution and detailed representations of archaeological features that were integrated in a GIS database. The outcome of photogrammetric surveying was fundamental in supporting the debate on the functionality of the site and his integration in a complex, socially constructed, ancient landscape. Finally, the present paper introduces the first complete map of Tacuil.
This paper brings into the attention of the academic community a series of methodological aspects that we considered of a possible general interest, deriving from our own practical application of aerial photography and satellite imagery within three distinct archaeological survey projects that we conducted during the last decade on three different geo-cultural regions of Mexico. We try to emphasise what works and what doesn’t within the realm of the aerial and satellite imagery employed during pioneering explorations aimed to identify new archaeological sites in natural settings that pose a number of challenges and obstacles to the photointerpretation. In the ravished jungles of south-western Yucatan Peninsula we identified several Mayan settlements by stereoscopy, as the dominant archaeological feature is the mound. In the mountains and deserts of Aguascalientes, central-northern Mexico, air photos and Google Earth proved almost useless in most of the cases, but precious in valuing landscape changes. In the arid deserts of northern Zacatecas, air photos and satellite imagery acted weakly in the actual identification of hunter-gatherer ampsites, but turned crucially important in the identification and monitoring of geo-spatial units and paleo-landforms hosting ancient human occupations probably since the end of Pleistocene.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been intensively developed since their origin in the early 1960s and employed for a variety of purposes both in academic and commercial fields thereafter. Following in the steps of precocious applications in disciplines such as forestry and hydrology, a handful of archaeologists began to employ this useful tool for their analyses of spatial phenomena in the early 1980s. In Andean archaeology, GIS together with related peripheral techniques (e.g., remote sensing and GPS) have become increasingly popular, particularly among younger archaeologists who recognize their ability to cope with a wide range of spatial scales and integrate multiple types of data. In accordance with the conceptual transitions of “space” and “landscape” and the expansion of study area over time, GIS have been successfully integrated into the archaeological methodology and even theoretical discussions. In the early 1980s when GIS were first introduced into archaeology, there were two contrasting conceptions: the processualistic spatiality (space as non-problematic abstract backdrop and landscape as a palimpsest of material traces) on one hand, and the postprocessualistic backlash against it, on the other. Correspondingly, GIS applications were also split broadly into two separate directions: processualistic regional modeling studies and postprocessualistic phenomenological reconstructions of past landscape. Backed up by theoretical and methodological advancements in both geography and archaeology and active interactions among archaeologists in professional meetings and on the web, each school of thought is anticipated to go a long way in meeting their respective aims. It is obvious that GIS and related peripheral techniques hold the promise for future archaeological research. However, as the history of archaeological applications of research tools borrowed from other fields foretells, their appropriateness and efficacy need to be carefully assessed as their applications pose major conceptual and practical challenges, not to mention a substantial amount of time, money, and technical expertise. In this context, my case study to create GIS-based digital site maps of Pachacamac, which was a part of the on-going long-term archaeological project on the central coast of Peru (Pachacamac Archaeological Project) was aimed at scrutinizing the potential and limitations of GIS and remote sensing techniques for archaeology and offering guidelines for the most efficient way to use them given resource limitations that commonly confront archaeologists. Although some geographers tend to overdramatize the potentials of GIS, contemplation on the nature of archaeological research and associated limitations exposes the complexity of archaeological applications of GIS and will bring archaeologists back to stark reality. Archaeologists usually have to select most cost-efficient techniques depending on their research objectives and available resources. The first step to apply GIS in archaeology in general needs to be taken considering the gap between the theories and our reality before us. Using the preparation of the GIS-based site map of Pachacamac as a case study, this thesis illustrates how we can bridge the gap between the theoretical potential of GIS on one hand, and constraints of archaeological reality, on the other. It shows how multiple layers of data as well as both analog and digital spatial data can be effectively integrated in the first digital map of Pachacamac to be produced.