Detecting “Invisible” Dwellings in the Maya Area Using Electromagnetic Induction: Significant Findings of a Pilot Study at Chau Hiix, Belize

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.Settlement studies of the prehispanic Lowland Maya have tended to rely upon dwelling remains that are visible at the ground surface, though floors and living surfaces that leave no surface indications are known to exist. Such "invisible" dwellings have been encountered beneath platforms and in "vacant terrain" lacking surface indications of architecture, and given more systematic attention, could represent a sizable and socially significant segment of the prehispanic populations in the region. This paper describes the application of electromagnetic induction, a geophysical technique, for locating nonplatform dwellings at Chau Hiix, Belize. A conductivity signature for nonplatform dwellings was identified that includes plaster, nonplatform floors, both in an area of vacant terrain and beneath a residential terrace, in association with trash pits and episodes of limestone bedrock mining, presumably for the acquisition of raw material for the floor. The technique also holds promise for locating ground-level floors, use-areas, and possibly footpaths. While this pilot study was limited in scope, it demonstrates the enormous potential of electromagnetic induction for locating these otherwise elusive features.El estudio de asentamientos prehispdnicos en las tierras bajas mayas ha dependido mucho en vestigios arquitect6nicos visibles en la superficie, aunque se ha conocido la existencia de pisos y superficies de ocupaci6n enterrados. Estos rasgos "invisibles," encontrados abajo de plataformas y en "terrenos vacantes," podrian representar un segmento importante de las poblaciones prehispanicas. En Chau Hiix, Belice, el metodo de excavar agujeros con barrenas result6 muy tardado y la informacidn obtenida fue limitada, por lo que buscd un metodo mds eficiente. Este documento describe la aplicacidn de la ticnica geofisica, inducci6n electromagndtica, para ubicar pisos que no son plataformas en Chau Hiix. Una sehial especial de conductividadpara pisos que no son plataformasfue identificada en dreas vacantes y abajo de una terraza residencial. Estos pisos se encuentran asociados con dep6sitos de basura y episodios de extracci6n de piedra caliza, presumiblemente usados para su construcci6n. La te'cnica tambien promete localizar niveles de ocupacidn, dreas de uso, y posiblemente veredas. Aunque el enfoque del estudio piloto fue limitado, demostrd el enorme potencial de la induccidn electromagnetica para localizar rasgos que muchas veces pasan desapercibidos. G iven the challenging conditions under which archaeological fieldwork is conducted in the tropical rain forests of Central America, spending precious resources of time and money on thorough and systematic subsurface sampling in areas of "vaca...

The Use of Electromagnetic Induction in Locating Graves and Mapping Cemeteries: an Example from Native North America

“…Conductivity became a standard in locating large archaeological features such as the remains of wooden palisade walls (Dalan, , ), large plazas (Holley et al ., ), stone walls (Osella et al ., ), stone house platforms (Sweely, ), drainage systems (Rogers et al ., ), filled in ditches, palaeochannels and lake beds (Bevan, ; Hildebrand et al ., ; Conyers et al ., ), refuse pits (Bevan, ), stratigraphic levels (Dalan, ; Dalan and Goodman, ) and buried occupational layers (Dalan, ; Dalan and Goodman, ). Advancements in data collection methods and instrumentation now allow mapping of entire sites or communities in relatively short periods of time (e.g.…”

Land Tenure Systems at the Ancient Maya Site of Actuncan, Belize

“…Remote sensing in the Maya lowlands, however, is still in an exploratory stage. Surveys have yielded mixed results due to water-logged soils, dense forests, and complex site stratigraphy that impede or confound remote-sensing signals (Cap 2015; Halperin 2007; Sweely 2005).…”

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

“…There have not been many other geophysical surveys of Maya sites in Belize, but other researchers have noted many of the same difficulties that the authors encountered, such as water saturation causing signal attenuation, gravel layers under plaster floors causing signal scattering, and numerous obstructions such as tree roots [36][37][38][39][40][41]. There have been some geophysical surveys of Maya sites outside of Belize, but generally the lack of GPR surveys limits the use of comparative examples for interpreting the Pacbitun anomalies based on geophysical anomalies in other Maya plaza areas [42][43][44].…”