Using Ground‐Penetrating Radar to Examine Spatial Organization at the Late Classic Maya Site of El Baúl, Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala

Abstract

The Cotzumalhuapa Nuclear Zone (CNZ) is a Late Classic site consisting of three large architectural compounds linked by a series of stone‐paved causeways and bridges. The majority of the site, however, lies beneath layers of recent tephra, leaving the structure of this settlement largely unknown. This study uses ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) to map the subsurface near El Baúl, one of the main compounds, in order to examine the spatial relationship among urban architectural features. Excavation within areas of the GPR survey provides fine‐grain detail of one major architectural feature in the region, the Gavarrete Causeway. The complimentary nature of these data sets characterizes the architectural organization of the settlement at two scales. Spatial patterning between large‐scale architectural features supports the hypothesis that the CNZ represents an integrated urban center with evidence of planned community organization characteristic of other Late Classic period centers across Mesoamerica.

Technologies of urbanism in Mesoamerica: the pre-Columbian bridges of Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala

“…2008; Safi et al . 2012). The causeways were generally 10–14m wide, and paved with finely laid cobblestones, although there are indications that some causeways, or parts of them at least, had tamped earth surfaces.…”

Geophysical and Geoarchaeological Investigations at Aganoa Beach, American Samoa: An Early Archaeological Site in Western Polynesia

“…Finally, we have demonstrated the exceptional utility of GPR studies for illustrating the paleoenvironmental setting of coastal sites where relative sea‐level has dropped. This study adds to the growing body of literature highlighting the successful application of GPR to solve archaeological problems (e.g., Safi et al., ; Vermeulen, Corsi, & de Dapper, ). Indeed, GPR studies are rapidly proliferating and it is particularly exciting to imagine their potential for enhancing our understanding of early sites in Polynesia.…”

Identificando áreas de actividad a través del uso de GPR en la costa del Soconusco

“…Esto ha cambiado dramáticamente con la disponibilidad del lidar aéreo, que pue de penetrar debajo del bosque para indicar las ubicaciones de los montículos, de tectando incluso los más pequeños. La cobertura lidar en la zona de estudio fue realizada durante abril de 2011, antes del inicio de nuestra primera temporada de campo y estos datos brindaron información del inventario de sitios (Neff, 2012).…”