An Iterative Approach to Ground Penetrating Radar at the Maya Site of Pacbitun, Belize

Skaggs, Sheldon; Powis, Terry G.; Rucker, Clara R.; Micheletti, George

doi:10.3390/rs8100805

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…These approaches include studies of form and layout, labor investment, space syntax, phenomenology, soil chemistry, view-shed analysis, and life-history approaches (see chapters in Tsukamoto and Inomata 2014). Geophysical prospection techniques remain underused in Mesoamerica, although this has begun to change recently (e.g., Barba 1993; Blancas et al 2015; López-Rodríguez et al 2016; Skaggs et al 2016; Venter et al 2006).…”

Section: Monte Albán's Main Plazamentioning

confidence: 99%

Monte Albán's Hidden Past: Buried Buildings and Sociopolitical Transformation

et al. 2020

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In this article, we present the most significant results of the Monte Albán Geophysical Archaeology Project. Using ground-penetrating radar, gradiometry, and electrical resistance, we carried out a systematic survey of the site's Main Plaza to identify buried prehispanic features that might shed light on Monte Albán's early history. The most important discoveries include three buried structures dating between the Danibaan (500–300 BC) and Nisa phases (100 BC–AD 100). We argue that the largest structure, measuring 18 × 18 m, was probably a temple platform and that all three of the structures were razed and buried by the end of the Nisa phase at the latest. Furthermore, we contend that these events were part of a major renovation and expansion of the site's Main Plaza that occurred during a pivotal period of dramatic sociopolitical transformation in the Zapotec capital.

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Section: Monte Albán's Main Plazamentioning

confidence: 99%

Monte Albán's Hidden Past: Buried Buildings and Sociopolitical Transformation

et al. 2020

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“…In 2012, PRAP conducted a geophysical survey using magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar to look for evidence of Middle Preclassic architecture below Plaza A (Skaggs and Powis 2014; Skaggs et al 2016). One anomaly revealed a burned surface approximately 50 cm below the present-day ground surface.…”

Section: Q: Discovery Description and Destructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Maya Ceremonial Architecture at Pacbitun, Belize

et al. 2019

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The development of Middle Preclassic (900–300 BC) ceremonial architecture is receiving more attention by archaeologists conducting research in the Maya Lowlands. Although a few examples have been partially excavated, there is still a dearth of information on how and why monumental constructions were originally built. This is largely because early structures often lie below several layers of sequential architecture, making them difficult to locate. Even when Middle Preclassic architecture is identified, exposure is often too limited to fully investigate its form and function. A well-preserved and accessible Middle Preclassic platform would be a rare find and could greatly enhance our knowledge and understanding of the subject. At Pacbitun, Cayo District, Belize, such a discovery has been made beneath the artificially raised surface of the main plaza. To make the most of this opportunity, five seasons of excavation worked to expose this massive building in its entirety. In this article, we provide details concerning the structural design of the platform and its abandonment, as well as present potential architectural comparisons. We conclude by reevaluating complexity at Pacbitun.

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Multispectral UAV Data and GPR Survey for Archeological Anomaly Detection Supporting 3D Reconstruction

Ronchi

Limongiello

Demetrescu

et al. 2023

Sensors

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Archeological prospection and 3D reconstruction are increasingly combined in large archeological projects that serve both site investigation and dissemination of results. This paper describes and validates a method for using multispectral imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), subsurface geophysical surveys, and stratigraphic excavations to evaluate the role of 3D semantic visualizations for the collected data. The information recorded by various methods will be experimentally reconciled using the Extended Matrix and other original open-source tools, keeping both the scientific processes that generated them and the derived data separate, transparent, and reproducible. This structured information makes immediately accessible the required variety of sources useful for interpretation and reconstructive hypotheses. The application of the methodology will use the first available data from a five-year multidisciplinary investigation project at Tres Tabernae, a Roman site near Rome, where numerous non-destructive technologies, as well as excavation campaigns, will be progressively deployed to explore the site and validate the approaches.

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An Iterative Approach to Ground Penetrating Radar at the Maya Site of Pacbitun, Belize

Cited by 3 publications

References 46 publications

Monte Albán's Hidden Past: Buried Buildings and Sociopolitical Transformation

Monte Albán's Hidden Past: Buried Buildings and Sociopolitical Transformation

Early Maya Ceremonial Architecture at Pacbitun, Belize

Multispectral UAV Data and GPR Survey for Archeological Anomaly Detection Supporting 3D Reconstruction

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