Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina

We conducted a geophysical survey at the Palo Blanco archaeological site located in Catamarca, Argentina. Age estimates from radiocarbon dating indicate first occupation of the site around 1500 years ago. The first description of thesite was done in 1960. At that time, five residential units with di...

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Autores principales: Martino, Luis Angel, Bonomo, Néstor Eduardo, Lascano, María Eugenia, Osella, Ana María
Publicado: 2006
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino
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spelling paper:paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino2023-06-08T14:38:59Z Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina Martino, Luis Angel Bonomo, Néstor Eduardo Lascano, María Eugenia Osella, Ana María Archaeology Building Buried object detection Geochronology Ground penetrating radar Radioactive dating Sediments Terrestrial electricity Computer simulation Electric conductivity Geochronology Global positioning system Ground penetrating radar systems Buried object detection Radioactive dating Terrestrial electricity Electric prospecting archaeology electrical method electrical resistivity geoelectric field ground penetrating radar radiocarbon dating Argentina Catamarca South America We conducted a geophysical survey at the Palo Blanco archaeological site located in Catamarca, Argentina. Age estimates from radiocarbon dating indicate first occupation of the site around 1500 years ago. The first description of thesite was done in 1960. At that time, five residential units with different architectural arrangements were reported. These structures had different levels of deterioration caused by exposure and human activities. Some of these original structures have become completely covered by sediments. To aid in the design of efficient excavation plans, detailed maps are required to locate the buried walls. For this purpose, we conducted geophysical surveys over one of the structures. We had poor documentation about the structure at the time of the survey. Only one of the walls described in the earlier report was partially visible. We used two geophysical methods: ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity. We performed 2D inversion of the resistivity data, together with numerical GPR simulations. These helped to distinguish the expected reflection events from others, aiding in a correct interpretation of the data. Finally, we made a complementary interpretation of the resistivity and GPR data to compile a detailed map of the selected structure. We found that considering the two methods independently would have led to an incomplete map. We delineated a much more complex structure than originally expected and designed an excavation plan which was carried out. The layout of the rooms of the structure fully matched the predictions based on the interpretation used in detecting the walls and their depths. In this way, the geophysical forecasts were confirmed after excavation. © 2006 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. Fil:Martino, L. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Bonomo, N. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Lascano, E. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Osella, A. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. 2006 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Archaeology
Building
Buried object detection
Geochronology
Ground penetrating radar
Radioactive dating
Sediments
Terrestrial electricity
Computer simulation
Electric conductivity
Geochronology
Global positioning system
Ground penetrating radar systems
Buried object detection
Radioactive dating
Terrestrial electricity
Electric prospecting
archaeology
electrical method
electrical resistivity
geoelectric field
ground penetrating radar
radiocarbon dating
Argentina
Catamarca
South America
spellingShingle Archaeology
Building
Buried object detection
Geochronology
Ground penetrating radar
Radioactive dating
Sediments
Terrestrial electricity
Computer simulation
Electric conductivity
Geochronology
Global positioning system
Ground penetrating radar systems
Buried object detection
Radioactive dating
Terrestrial electricity
Electric prospecting
archaeology
electrical method
electrical resistivity
geoelectric field
ground penetrating radar
radiocarbon dating
Argentina
Catamarca
South America
Martino, Luis Angel
Bonomo, Néstor Eduardo
Lascano, María Eugenia
Osella, Ana María
Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
topic_facet Archaeology
Building
Buried object detection
Geochronology
Ground penetrating radar
Radioactive dating
Sediments
Terrestrial electricity
Computer simulation
Electric conductivity
Geochronology
Global positioning system
Ground penetrating radar systems
Buried object detection
Radioactive dating
Terrestrial electricity
Electric prospecting
archaeology
electrical method
electrical resistivity
geoelectric field
ground penetrating radar
radiocarbon dating
Argentina
Catamarca
South America
description We conducted a geophysical survey at the Palo Blanco archaeological site located in Catamarca, Argentina. Age estimates from radiocarbon dating indicate first occupation of the site around 1500 years ago. The first description of thesite was done in 1960. At that time, five residential units with different architectural arrangements were reported. These structures had different levels of deterioration caused by exposure and human activities. Some of these original structures have become completely covered by sediments. To aid in the design of efficient excavation plans, detailed maps are required to locate the buried walls. For this purpose, we conducted geophysical surveys over one of the structures. We had poor documentation about the structure at the time of the survey. Only one of the walls described in the earlier report was partially visible. We used two geophysical methods: ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity. We performed 2D inversion of the resistivity data, together with numerical GPR simulations. These helped to distinguish the expected reflection events from others, aiding in a correct interpretation of the data. Finally, we made a complementary interpretation of the resistivity and GPR data to compile a detailed map of the selected structure. We found that considering the two methods independently would have led to an incomplete map. We delineated a much more complex structure than originally expected and designed an excavation plan which was carried out. The layout of the rooms of the structure fully matched the predictions based on the interpretation used in detecting the walls and their depths. In this way, the geophysical forecasts were confirmed after excavation. © 2006 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
author Martino, Luis Angel
Bonomo, Néstor Eduardo
Lascano, María Eugenia
Osella, Ana María
author_facet Martino, Luis Angel
Bonomo, Néstor Eduardo
Lascano, María Eugenia
Osella, Ana María
author_sort Martino, Luis Angel
title Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
title_short Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
title_full Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
title_fullStr Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Electrical and GPR prospecting at Palo Blanco archaeological site, northwestern Argentina
title_sort electrical and gpr prospecting at palo blanco archaeological site, northwestern argentina
publishDate 2006
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00168033_v71_n6_pB193_Martino
work_keys_str_mv AT martinoluisangel electricalandgprprospectingatpaloblancoarchaeologicalsitenorthwesternargentina
AT bonomonestoreduardo electricalandgprprospectingatpaloblancoarchaeologicalsitenorthwesternargentina
AT lascanomariaeugenia electricalandgprprospectingatpaloblancoarchaeologicalsitenorthwesternargentina
AT osellaanamaria electricalandgprprospectingatpaloblancoarchaeologicalsitenorthwesternargentina
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