- Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio
Avenida de Vigo, s/n
Edificio IIAG-CSIC
15705 Santiago de Compostela
Spain
- I currently work at the Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). My resear... moreI currently work at the Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). My research interests are basically within the field of Landscape Archaeology and the application of geospatial technologies for both archaeology and the wider field of Cultural Heritage.
I developed my previous career at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), where I got my PhD in 2001.edit
Digital technologies have numerous applications in archaeology ranging from the documentation of the archaeological evidence and the analysis of research data to the presentation of results for a wider audience. This volume consists... more
Digital technologies have numerous applications in archaeology ranging from the documentation of the archaeological evidence and the analysis of research data to the presentation of results for a wider audience. This volume consists of various studies on the use of methods such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging), archaeological prospection, visibility, mobility and the analysis of the spatial distribution of archaeological objects, applied in various contexts. The case studies vary widely and include the Late Pleistocene in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, the Roman Republican period in Southern Italy, the Formative period in the Andes and the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War.
In 2005 a (then) pioneering postgraduate course on the applicability of digital geospatial technologies for archaeology was launched in Spain. Quite unexpectedly, the course has been alive annually for more than 10 years so far, having trained around 300 young archaeologists from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America in the critical use of nowadays popular tools such as GIS, GPS, remote sensing and LiDAR for the documentation and analysis of the archaeological record.
To commemorate the first 10 years of the course, a conference was organized in Mérida (Spain) in October 2015. Former students were invited to present and discuss their research in which these technologies were used intensively; this edited book is a selection of those contributions. Through a series of widely varying case-studies, both technically sophisticated and theoretically informed applications of such digital technologies are presented.
All the contributors are young researchers, either young doctors or doctorate students, coming from fairly varied archaeological contexts and approaches.
In 2005 a (then) pioneering postgraduate course on the applicability of digital geospatial technologies for archaeology was launched in Spain. Quite unexpectedly, the course has been alive annually for more than 10 years so far, having trained around 300 young archaeologists from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America in the critical use of nowadays popular tools such as GIS, GPS, remote sensing and LiDAR for the documentation and analysis of the archaeological record.
To commemorate the first 10 years of the course, a conference was organized in Mérida (Spain) in October 2015. Former students were invited to present and discuss their research in which these technologies were used intensively; this edited book is a selection of those contributions. Through a series of widely varying case-studies, both technically sophisticated and theoretically informed applications of such digital technologies are presented.
All the contributors are young researchers, either young doctors or doctorate students, coming from fairly varied archaeological contexts and approaches.
Research Interests:
A paisaxe é un produto das formas de ser, de estar, de pensar e de actuar de cada sociedade. A paisaxe galega de hoxe é o resultado das nosas formas de ser, estar, pensar e actuar, mais tamén das daqueles que nos precederon no tempo.... more
A paisaxe é un produto das formas de ser, de estar, de pensar e de actuar de cada sociedade. A paisaxe galega de hoxe é o resultado das nosas formas de ser, estar, pensar e actuar, mais tamén das daqueles que nos precederon no tempo. Moitas das cousas que consideramos máis características da paisaxe de Galicia son o produto ou o efecto da acción humana, e non só diso que chamamos a Natureza.
Este libro é unha especie de atlas arqueolóxico das paisaxes culturais de Galicia, e dicimos «unha especie» porque non é un atlas entendido no sentido convencional de conxunto de mapas; o que fai é describir as diferentes formas da paisaxe que se foron sucedendo ao longo dunha boa parte da historia do que hoxe é Galicia, dende a prehistoria até a época medieval. O relato parte do que coñecemos como paisaxe tradicional para, logo, ir na procura dos seus elementos típicos, xa presentes –ou ausentes– nas paisaxes que o precederon e o foron conformando. Porén, as paisaxes arqueolóxicas son algo
que non existe; os seus restos, ou ben se incorporaron en gran medida a formas posteriores de paisaxe, ou ben subxacen relictos e esquecidos baixo estas. Por iso precisamente as chamamos arqueolóxicas. A historia que facemos aquí é unha historia humana do antropoceno, un concepto que vén definir unha nova etapa xeolóxica marcada pola dominación humana
dos sistemas da Terra, unha etapa en que a acción sociocultural modifica activamente o mundo e substitúe un medio natural por un medio cultural cada vez máis artificial.
Este libro é unha especie de atlas arqueolóxico das paisaxes culturais de Galicia, e dicimos «unha especie» porque non é un atlas entendido no sentido convencional de conxunto de mapas; o que fai é describir as diferentes formas da paisaxe que se foron sucedendo ao longo dunha boa parte da historia do que hoxe é Galicia, dende a prehistoria até a época medieval. O relato parte do que coñecemos como paisaxe tradicional para, logo, ir na procura dos seus elementos típicos, xa presentes –ou ausentes– nas paisaxes que o precederon e o foron conformando. Porén, as paisaxes arqueolóxicas son algo
que non existe; os seus restos, ou ben se incorporaron en gran medida a formas posteriores de paisaxe, ou ben subxacen relictos e esquecidos baixo estas. Por iso precisamente as chamamos arqueolóxicas. A historia que facemos aquí é unha historia humana do antropoceno, un concepto que vén definir unha nova etapa xeolóxica marcada pola dominación humana
dos sistemas da Terra, unha etapa en que a acción sociocultural modifica activamente o mundo e substitúe un medio natural por un medio cultural cada vez máis artificial.
Research Interests:
This monograph presents the background, context and technical details of an Application Schema for the inclusion of cultural heritage spatial data into the INSPIRE framework. Nowadays, INSPIRE provides the most relevant framework for the... more
This monograph presents the background, context and technical details of an Application Schema for the inclusion of cultural heritage spatial data into the INSPIRE framework. Nowadays, INSPIRE provides the most relevant framework for the dissemination and exchange of geographical data, covering many different thematic fields, particularly relevant for envi-ronmental datasets. Although cultural heritage elements are partially addressed within INSPIRE, there is no specific documentation on how these data should be considered, structured and published. This text aims to provide technical guidelines for decision makers, public administrations and the scientific community for the definition and implementation of harmonized datasets for cultural heritage, according to the interoperability principles of INSPIRE.
This monograph presents in full detail a data model and an application schema, some of whose aspects have been previously published in brief (Fernández Freire et al. 2013, Parcero-Oubiña et al. 2013, Uriarte González et al. 2013).
This monograph presents in full detail a data model and an application schema, some of whose aspects have been previously published in brief (Fernández Freire et al. 2013, Parcero-Oubiña et al. 2013, Uriarte González et al. 2013).
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Se detallan los resultados arqueológicos de la excavación realizada en el año 1993 en el yacimiento de Alto do Castro (Laxos, Cuntis, Pontevedra), luego de la afección causada por las obras de construcción del oleoducto A Coruña-Vigo. En... more
Se detallan los resultados arqueológicos de la excavación realizada en el año 1993 en el yacimiento de Alto do Castro (Laxos, Cuntis, Pontevedra), luego de la afección causada por las obras de construcción del oleoducto A Coruña-Vigo. En primer lugar se detalla el conjunto de elementos y relaciones estratigráficas documentados, y seguidamente se realiza un análisis detenido del conjunto de materiales recuperados, especialmente de las producciones cerámicas. Finalmente se incluye un ensayo de síntesis general de las dinámicas de ocupación y abandono del poblado, y una serie de reflexiones metodológicas sobre los trabajos realizados.
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The text deals with the archaeological results of the excavation carried out in 1993 in the fortified settlement of Alto do Castro (Laxos, Cuntis, Pon-tevedra), after the impact caused by the works of the pipeline A Coruña-Vigo. Firstly, the text pre-sents the stratigraphical elements and relations documented, to follow with a detailed analysis of the material culture, specially pottery. Finally, an attempt of a general synthesis of the dynamics of occupation and abandonment of the site is made, as well as a series of methodological considerations relating the fieldwork process.
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The text deals with the archaeological results of the excavation carried out in 1993 in the fortified settlement of Alto do Castro (Laxos, Cuntis, Pon-tevedra), after the impact caused by the works of the pipeline A Coruña-Vigo. Firstly, the text pre-sents the stratigraphical elements and relations documented, to follow with a detailed analysis of the material culture, specially pottery. Finally, an attempt of a general synthesis of the dynamics of occupation and abandonment of the site is made, as well as a series of methodological considerations relating the fieldwork process.
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Se presentan los resultados derivados de un conjunto de actuaciones arqueológicas desarrolladas en yacimientos descubiertos durante el seguimiento de obra de la red de gasificación de Galicia. En concreto se trata de un con-junto de... more
Se presentan los resultados derivados de un conjunto de actuaciones arqueológicas desarrolladas en yacimientos descubiertos durante el seguimiento de obra de la red de gasificación de Galicia. En concreto se trata de un con-junto de puntos ubicados en el entorno de Santiago de Compostela y que cabe agrupar como asentamientos domésticos adscribibles en términos generales a la Prehis-toria Reciente, y más concretamente en casi todos los casos a la Edad del Bronce o al Neolítico Final.
Se muestra en detalle el registro documentado en es-tos 6 yacimientos, procedente de trabajos de limpieza y documentación de perfiles y del desarrollo de sondeos en estructuras concretas. Finalmente se recoge una valoración de conjunto de los resultados y se apunta una hipótesis de trabajo sobre la estructuración territorial del poblamiento para esta zona en estos momentos de la prehistoria.
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The results derived from a series of archaeological works developed in sites discovered in relation to the project of archaeological control of Galician Gasline are shown. Specifically the paper deals with a group of sites located in the surroundings of the town of Santiago de Composte-la and that can be defined as domestic settlement sites broadly belongig to the Late Prehistory, mainly Bronze Age and Late Neolithic.
The archaeological record recovered in those sites is shown. It comes from works both of documentation of profiles and of small scale survey excavations located on specific structures. Finally a general valuation of those results is given, as well as a hypothetic model of the territorial structure for this area in those prehistoric times.
Se muestra en detalle el registro documentado en es-tos 6 yacimientos, procedente de trabajos de limpieza y documentación de perfiles y del desarrollo de sondeos en estructuras concretas. Finalmente se recoge una valoración de conjunto de los resultados y se apunta una hipótesis de trabajo sobre la estructuración territorial del poblamiento para esta zona en estos momentos de la prehistoria.
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The results derived from a series of archaeological works developed in sites discovered in relation to the project of archaeological control of Galician Gasline are shown. Specifically the paper deals with a group of sites located in the surroundings of the town of Santiago de Composte-la and that can be defined as domestic settlement sites broadly belongig to the Late Prehistory, mainly Bronze Age and Late Neolithic.
The archaeological record recovered in those sites is shown. It comes from works both of documentation of profiles and of small scale survey excavations located on specific structures. Finally a general valuation of those results is given, as well as a hypothetic model of the territorial structure for this area in those prehistoric times.
Research Interests:
Presentamos un sistema para el registro de la información procedente de actuaciones intensivas sobre el registro arqueológico. Denominamos a estas actuaciones Intervenciones, por ser un concepto más amplio y flexible que el de Excavación.... more
Presentamos un sistema para el registro de la información procedente de actuaciones intensivas sobre el registro arqueológico. Denominamos a estas actuaciones Intervenciones, por ser un concepto más amplio y flexible que el de Excavación. En primer lugar discutimos la aplicabilidad de este concepto, así como algunos principios importantes sobre el carácter de estas intervenciones y su significación para la actividad arqueológica. El grueso del volumen se centra en detallar y describir el sistema de registro propuesto, que es de doble aplicabilidad: registro de información arqueológica convencional y registro arqueológico de elementos construidos, la llamada Arqueología de la Arquitectura. Proponemos un sistema que pretende ser apto por su amplitud y sencillez, reduciendo al máximo el número de fichas empleadas y su complejidad e introduciendo conceptos nuevos como el de Grupo Estratigráfico.
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"This text shows the most significant results of the archaeological works carried out in the surroundings of Iron Age hillforts (castros) in relation to two major projects of Archaeological Impact Evaluation and Correction developed in... more
"This text shows the most significant results of the archaeological works carried out in the surroundings of Iron
Age hillforts (castros) in relation to two major projects of Archaeological Impact Evaluation and Correction developed in Galicia, those referred to the Coruña-Vigo pipeline and the Galician Gasline Network. From the whole data recovered, we have chosen four sites as the most significant, those that seem to show remains of ancient field systems and cultivation
land, a kind of archaeological evidence unknown in Galicia up to the present.
Se presentan los resultados más significativos de los trabajos arqueológicos de documentación de elementos exhumados en la periferia de asentamientos fortificados de la Edad del Hierro por las obras de sendas construcciones lineales en Galicia (el Oleoducto Coruña- Vigo y la Red de Gasificación de Galicia). De entre los muchos datos recabados en este contexto se han seleccionado los cuatro yacimientos que parecen mostrar evidencias de un tipo de estructuras hasta ahora desconocidas en Galicia: los espacios de cultivo de los habitantes de los castros.
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Age hillforts (castros) in relation to two major projects of Archaeological Impact Evaluation and Correction developed in Galicia, those referred to the Coruña-Vigo pipeline and the Galician Gasline Network. From the whole data recovered, we have chosen four sites as the most significant, those that seem to show remains of ancient field systems and cultivation
land, a kind of archaeological evidence unknown in Galicia up to the present.
Se presentan los resultados más significativos de los trabajos arqueológicos de documentación de elementos exhumados en la periferia de asentamientos fortificados de la Edad del Hierro por las obras de sendas construcciones lineales en Galicia (el Oleoducto Coruña- Vigo y la Red de Gasificación de Galicia). De entre los muchos datos recabados en este contexto se han seleccionado los cuatro yacimientos que parecen mostrar evidencias de un tipo de estructuras hasta ahora desconocidas en Galicia: los espacios de cultivo de los habitantes de los castros.
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Research Interests:
Este trabajo muestra los resultados de la intervención desarrollada sobre un pequeño túmulo funerario localizado en la zona Sudoeste de Galicia, cerca de la ciudad de Vigo. El monumento iba a ser afectado por la construcción del ramal... more
Este trabajo muestra los resultados de la intervención desarrollada sobre un pequeño túmulo funerario localizado en la zona Sudoeste de Galicia, cerca de la ciudad de Vigo. El monumento iba a ser afectado por la construcción del ramal Porriño-Vigo de la red de gasificación de Galicia, por lo que hubo de plantearse y desarrollarse una estrategia de corrección que implicó la excavación parcial del yacimiento. Los resultados nos muestran un monumento de pequeño tamaño, aunque de dimensiones y prominencia reales mayores de las aparentes en la actualidad. El yacimiento ofrece dos niveles de lectura paralelos y complementarios: el primero hace referencia a la sucesión de dos fases fundamentales de construcción y vigencia del túmulo, una sin materiales claros conservados y otra asociada a cerámica campaniforme. El segundo se refiere a una distribución espacial interna de sus elementos constitutivos basada en la dualidad este-oeste.
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Con una doble intención metodológica y analítica, se abordan las diferentes actuaciones desarrolladas en el entorno del castro de Cameixa (Boborás, Ourense), publicando las diversas evidencias arqueológicas reconocidas en esta zona e... more
Con una doble intención metodológica y analítica, se abordan las diferentes actuaciones desarrolladas en el entorno del castro de Cameixa (Boborás, Ourense), publicando las diversas evidencias arqueológicas reconocidas en esta zona e ilustrando el proceso de trabajo seguido. La valoración y análisis de los resultados pretende demostrar como una actuación de las denominadas “de rescate”, con escasa inversión de trabajo y de tiempo, permite no sólo salvar y corregir el impacto sobre elementos arqueológicos (intención básica), sino también aportar nuevos datos e interpretaciones de contenido arqueológico.
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Visibility analysis has become extremely popular in landscape-oriented archaeology in recent decades and has become even more widespread with the popularization of GIS tools, which have multiplied the ways in which visual perception can... more
Visibility analysis has become extremely popular in landscape-oriented archaeology in recent decades and has become even more widespread with the popularization of GIS tools, which have multiplied the ways in which visual perception can be analysed and digitally modelled. Visibility has been used as a proxy for different archaeological approaches, from the analysis of subjective perception to the assessment of strategic control. While interest has most often been focused on how objects, features and sites are perceived, there has also been an interest in how visual control is exerted from archaeological sites or other places in the landscape. Within the latter approaches, the distances at which visual control can be exercised have usually been determined in a more or less arbitrary manner, without a clear and empirically informed reference on how things and, especially, people can be observed and recognized differently at a distance. In this paper, we present the results of a field experiment carried out to measure the distances at which individuals can be spotted, recognized and identified with the naked eye in favourable conditions. Based on these results, we introduce the concept of Individual Distance Viewshed (IDV) as a GIS-based representation of visual control. This will serve as a reference to better qualify potential visibility in landscape analysis. Finally, we illustrate the applicability of this approach with a case study which explores the relationship between visual control and mobility during the Iron Age in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula.
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GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in recent years as ways of approaching forms of mobility in the past. Roman roads are among the best-known examples of... more
GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in recent years as ways of approaching forms of mobility in the past. Roman roads are among the best-known examples of ancient networks of paths and have been widely studied using such approaches. In this paper, we shall make a general reflection on the applicability of those tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient routes, with a special focus on Roman roads. Drawing from a case study in the NW Iberian Peninsula, we shall discuss certain aspects related to the potential and limits of Cumulative Costs, LCP and other related tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient roads. We will illustrate how the use of tools which explore potential mobility in less restricted ways can help to overcome some of the limitations of LCP.
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Este artículo detalla la contribución de los llamados UAV o drones para la documentación en arqueología, a partir del caso de un amplio conjunto de elementos agrícolas (campos de cultivo, canales de riego) y espacios de asentamiento... more
Este artículo detalla la contribución de los llamados UAV o drones para la documentación en arqueología, a partir del caso de un amplio conjunto de elementos agrícolas (campos de cultivo, canales de riego) y espacios de asentamiento prehispánicos en el área desértica de Atacama (norte de Chile). A partir de la excelente conservación y visibilidad en superficie de estos elementos arqueológicos, propiciada
por las particulares condiciones ambientales de la zona, el trabajo de mapeo y documentación allí realizado se basó inicialmente en una combinación del empleo de imágenes de satélite de alta resolución espacial (GeoEye 1) y trabajo de prospección en campo.
Con ello se logró una detallada documentación de los espacios en estudio, aunque limitada por la falta de detalle suficiente de las imágenes de satélite en algunas áreas concretas. Para complementar ese trabajo con una aproximación más detallada, se realizó una documentación basada en técnicas de computer vision (Structure From
Motion) a partir de fotografías tomadas desde un UAV sencillo y de bajo coste. Con estas fotografías se produjeron modelos 3D y ortoimágenes de gran resolución de áreas de cultivo y asentamientos.
La principal contribución ha sido la producción de documentos planimétricos de gran detalle y precisión de un extenso conjunto de elementos arqueológicos, que han servido tanto para entender mejor estos espacios como para diseñar y planificar futuras campañas de trabajo de campo.
En este artículo describimos el proceso de trabajo y realizamos una valoración de la relación entre tiempo de trabajo – recursos técnicos empleados – condiciones del trabajo – resultados obtenidos. Además, comparamos el proceso de trabajo y los resultados obtenidos con dos equipos diferentes.
por las particulares condiciones ambientales de la zona, el trabajo de mapeo y documentación allí realizado se basó inicialmente en una combinación del empleo de imágenes de satélite de alta resolución espacial (GeoEye 1) y trabajo de prospección en campo.
Con ello se logró una detallada documentación de los espacios en estudio, aunque limitada por la falta de detalle suficiente de las imágenes de satélite en algunas áreas concretas. Para complementar ese trabajo con una aproximación más detallada, se realizó una documentación basada en técnicas de computer vision (Structure From
Motion) a partir de fotografías tomadas desde un UAV sencillo y de bajo coste. Con estas fotografías se produjeron modelos 3D y ortoimágenes de gran resolución de áreas de cultivo y asentamientos.
La principal contribución ha sido la producción de documentos planimétricos de gran detalle y precisión de un extenso conjunto de elementos arqueológicos, que han servido tanto para entender mejor estos espacios como para diseñar y planificar futuras campañas de trabajo de campo.
En este artículo describimos el proceso de trabajo y realizamos una valoración de la relación entre tiempo de trabajo – recursos técnicos empleados – condiciones del trabajo – resultados obtenidos. Además, comparamos el proceso de trabajo y los resultados obtenidos con dos equipos diferentes.
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En este capítulo trataremos de sintetizar algo de lo que hoy sabemos acerca de esa "periférica" y "menos importante" Edad del Hierro del Noroeste. Con suerte, conseguiremos que al lector le parezca al final un poco menos periférica y un... more
En este capítulo trataremos de sintetizar algo de lo que hoy sabemos acerca de esa "periférica" y "menos importante" Edad del Hierro del Noroeste. Con suerte, conseguiremos que al lector le parezca al final un poco menos periférica y un poco menos secundaria. El relato histórico que presentamos, construido sobre numerosas aportaciones realizadas en los últimos años, es una de las formas posibles de entender lo que el registro arqueológico muestra para este lugar y tiempo. Obviamente las posibles formas de interpretar ese registro son finitas pero, por la propia naturaleza de los elementos materiales que lo componen, hay un margen dentro del cual es posible desarrollar lecturas diferentes que den igualmente cuenta de ese registro de una forma que también puede resultar convincente. Muchos de los asuntos que se presentan ocupan posiciones centrales en la discusión arqueológica actual, y para algunos de ellos hay lecturas alternativas igualmente vigentes. Algunos de estos asuntos pueden ser cuestiones puramente empíricas, o de detalle (por ejemplo, la cronología de aparición de determinados elementos del registro: tipos de objetos, formas constructivas, tecnologías,…). Otros son cuestiones más de fondo, y por tanto más sujetas a argumentaciones contrapuestas (por ejemplo, el grado de complejidad de la organización socio-política de los grupos del Noroeste a lo largo de la Edad del Hierro). Los lectores podrán encontrar referencias a esas otras visiones en el conjunto de títulos recomendados al final.
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The aim of this paper is to dig deeper in order to gain a better understanding of the territorial logic of Roman roads, following some recent approaches based on the use of digital modelling tools. Taking the case of the so-called via... more
The aim of this paper is to dig deeper in order to gain a better understanding of the territorial logic of Roman roads, following some recent approaches based on the use of digital modelling tools. Taking the case of the so-called via XVII (a ca. 330 km itinerary which joined Bracara Augusta and Asturica Augusta, NW Iberian Peninsula), the paper explores various factors, both natural and cultural, which may have been determinant in the layout of main roads in the Roman period. This study has followed a non-reconstructive methodology based on the theoretical idea of "least-cost paths" implemented by way of GIS tools. The analysis combines different variables which have an impact on human mobility (such as terrain slope and altitude, and the a priori existence of some primary nodes) and different spatial scales of analysis. As an outcome, we have achieved a detailed understanding of the factors behind the layout of this road and, in doing so, we have also drawn some conclusions regarding the historical context of its origin and development. The methodology and some of the results may be pertinent for the analysis of Roman roads elsewhere and, to some extent, for the wider analysis of ancient roads.
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The analysis of the nature and strategies of the Inka expansion in the peripheral areas of the empire, NW Argentina among them, has long been a subject of interest for researchers. In recent years, new perspectives have started to focus... more
The analysis of the nature and strategies of the Inka expansion in the peripheral areas of the empire, NW Argentina among them, has long been a subject of interest for researchers. In recent years, new perspectives have started to focus on an alternative view of the Inka expansion in this area. Among these, the processes of symbolic appropriation, manipulation or re-negotiation of the regional landscapes by the Inkas have been highlighted by some authors, by paying attention to the symbiotic relationship between settlement, architecture and natural features in the landscape. Within that framework, this paper will analyse the distribution of archaeological sites from the Inka period in the Hualfín and Quimivil valleys, located in the province of Catamarca (Argentina). The results of our analysis suggest that the layout of the Inka settlements and roads in that region was influenced by two main factors: distribution along natural corridors and maximization of the visual presence of the Cerros de Aconquija, a prominent mountain range where an Inka ceremonial site was built. Considering the relevant role of certain landscape features in the Inka worldview, this is interpreted as part of a symbolic appropriation of the surrounding landscape.
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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... more
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.
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Resumen Durante el período Intermedio Tardío las comunidades del Loa Superior desarrollaron amplios proyectos agrohidráulicos orientados a la ampliación de la producción agrícola en un ambiente desértico. En este trabajo caracterizamos el... more
Resumen Durante el período Intermedio Tardío las comunidades del Loa Superior desarrollaron amplios proyectos agrohidráulicos orientados a la ampliación de la producción agrícola en un ambiente desértico. En este trabajo caracterizamos el sistema agrohidráulico del poblado de Topaín, el que habría estado en funcionamiento en el período Intermedio Tardío. A partir de un registro espacial, estratigráfico y formal, evaluamos la secuencia de construcción y funcionamiento de este sistema a lo largo del tiempo. Los resultados muestran un proceso de transformación de este sistema orientado a un manejo más eficiente del agua y un aumento en la cantidad de espacios irrigados. Estas transformaciones son hipotetizadas en el contexto de las dinámicas sociales de las comunidades prehispánicas de la localidad. Abstract During the Late Intermediate Period, the communities of the Upper Loabasindeveloped extensive irrigation projects to expand agricultural production in a desert environment. Here, we characterize the agrohydraulic system of the site of Topaín, which functioned during the Late Intermediate and Late Periods. Spatial, stratigraphic, and formal characteristics are used to evaluate the sequence of construction and functioning of this system through time. The results show a process of transformation oriented towards the efficient management of water and the expansion of the irrigated lands. These transformations are hypotetized in terms of the social dynamics of the prehispanic communities at the site.
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Este texto ilustra un ejemplo de la utilidad y aplicación de tecnologías no invasivas para documentar, describir y comenzar a entender un conjunto de espacios de cultivo antiguos, de época prehispánica, situado en la periferia andina del... more
Este texto ilustra un ejemplo de la utilidad y aplicación de tecnologías no invasivas para documentar, describir y comenzar a entender un conjunto de espacios de cultivo antiguos, de época prehispánica, situado en la periferia andina del norte chileno. Al contrario de lo que es habitual en las regiones templadas, donde la visibilidad del registro arqueológico
suele ser pobre y poco clara, en este lugar a extrema sequedad del ambiente ha permitido una conservación excepcional de diferentes tipos de estructuras (campos de cultivo, canales de riego,…). Mediante una metodología de campo basada en el empleo de recursos y herramientas de coste relativamente bajo (imágenes de satélite de alta resolución, UAV y SIG) ha sido posible mapear y describir más de 5.500 estructuras en un tiempo de trabajo de campo que supone alrededor de 4 meses, divididos en varias campañas de 2-3 semanas. Pero además el proceso seguido nos ha permitido adquirir un cierto conocimiento acerca de cómo se pudo haber generado, transformado y abandonado este espacio, permitiéndonos proponer una serie de hipótesis relativas a los posibles cambios en las formas y escala de producción después de la ocupación incaica.
suele ser pobre y poco clara, en este lugar a extrema sequedad del ambiente ha permitido una conservación excepcional de diferentes tipos de estructuras (campos de cultivo, canales de riego,…). Mediante una metodología de campo basada en el empleo de recursos y herramientas de coste relativamente bajo (imágenes de satélite de alta resolución, UAV y SIG) ha sido posible mapear y describir más de 5.500 estructuras en un tiempo de trabajo de campo que supone alrededor de 4 meses, divididos en varias campañas de 2-3 semanas. Pero además el proceso seguido nos ha permitido adquirir un cierto conocimiento acerca de cómo se pudo haber generado, transformado y abandonado este espacio, permitiéndonos proponer una serie de hipótesis relativas a los posibles cambios en las formas y escala de producción después de la ocupación incaica.
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Se presentan los resultados de la anualidad 2014 del proyecto, cuando se realizaron dos campañas de trabajo de campo, una parcialmente con cargo a los fondos de la convocatoria Proyectos Arqueológicos en el Exterior del Ministerio de... more
Se presentan los resultados de la anualidad 2014 del proyecto, cuando se realizaron dos campañas de trabajo de campo, una parcialmente con cargo a los fondos de la convocatoria Proyectos Arqueológicos en el Exterior del Ministerio de Cultura (en diciembre) y una previa (en julio) con cargo a fuentes de financiación adicionales obtenidas.
Siguiendo el plan de trabajo propuesto inicialmente, se realizaron cinco tipos de acciones en estas dos campañas:
– Continuación del programa de caracterización paleoambiental y paleoagrícola de la zona.
– Realización de una recolección por muestreo del material cerámico en los espacios de cultivo, para analizar la distribución diferencial en superficie.
– Continuación de los trabajos de mapeo en superficie, especialmente centrados en la revisión del espacio de asentamiento de Paniri.
– Realización de sondeos en las áreas de asentamiento de Topaín, Paniri y Turi.
– Documentación fotogramétrica 3D del área de asentamiento completa de Turi a partir de fotografías aéreas de baja altura tomadas con un drone.
Adicionalmente, a lo largo de este año 2014 se han recibido los resultados de un amplio conjunto de fechados de C-14, así como resultados preliminares de datación por OSL, que nos permiten dibujar un cuadro temporal para los espacios en estudio.
Este documento resume los resultados alcanzados en la parte más propiamente arqueológica de esos ámbitos citados y el incremento en el conocimiento de los sitios que ello ha permitido alcanzar.
Siguiendo el plan de trabajo propuesto inicialmente, se realizaron cinco tipos de acciones en estas dos campañas:
– Continuación del programa de caracterización paleoambiental y paleoagrícola de la zona.
– Realización de una recolección por muestreo del material cerámico en los espacios de cultivo, para analizar la distribución diferencial en superficie.
– Continuación de los trabajos de mapeo en superficie, especialmente centrados en la revisión del espacio de asentamiento de Paniri.
– Realización de sondeos en las áreas de asentamiento de Topaín, Paniri y Turi.
– Documentación fotogramétrica 3D del área de asentamiento completa de Turi a partir de fotografías aéreas de baja altura tomadas con un drone.
Adicionalmente, a lo largo de este año 2014 se han recibido los resultados de un amplio conjunto de fechados de C-14, así como resultados preliminares de datación por OSL, que nos permiten dibujar un cuadro temporal para los espacios en estudio.
Este documento resume los resultados alcanzados en la parte más propiamente arqueológica de esos ámbitos citados y el incremento en el conocimiento de los sitios que ello ha permitido alcanzar.
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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... more
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.
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.
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The use of GIS tools to explore questions related to movement in archaeological contexts has been common in the last years. Least Cost Paths (LCP) have been especially successful among them, most often with the objective of predicting or... more
The use of GIS tools to explore questions related to movement in archaeological contexts has been common in the last years. Least Cost Paths (LCP) have been especially successful among them, most often with the objective of predicting or reconstructing the layout of ancient routes. In this paper we propose an alternate use of those tools, aimed at trying to identify the main locations taken into account when defining the routes, rather than at predicting or reconstructing them. Through a rather simple and straightforward methodological sequence, based on the successive testing of very explicit hypotheses, we show how this approach can produce significant new knowledge while dodging some typical issues of LCP analysis. We illustrate the approach with the case study of the Roman roads in the north-west Iberian Peninsula.
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Se presentan los resultados de la cuarta anualidad del proyecto. En esta anualidad se realizaron dos campañas de trabajo de campo, una parcialmente con cargo a los fondos de la convocatoria Proyectos Arqueológicos en el Exterior del... more
Se presentan los resultados de la cuarta anualidad del proyecto. En esta anualidad se realizaron dos campañas de trabajo de campo, una parcialmente con cargo a los fondos de la convocatoria Proyectos Arqueológicos en el Exterior del Ministerio de Cultura (en diciembre de 2013) y una previa (en julio de 2013) con cargo a fuentes de financiación adicionales obtenidas. En estas campañas se ampliaron notablemente los logros alcanzados hasta entonces, de dos maneras. Por un lado, extendiendo los trabajos de documentación de detalle de los espacios de riego y cultivo al entorno del sitio de Paniri. Por otro lado, abordando nuevas aproximaciones al registro doméstico de los poblados de Turi y Topaín, siguiendo metodologías como el Spatial Syntax Analysis.
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Se presentan los resultados de la tercera campaña de campo del proyecto, que se desarrolló en dos semanas de marzo de 2013. Consistió esencialmente en trabajos orientados a completar la documentación de algunas zonas puntuales y,... more
Se presentan los resultados de la tercera campaña de campo del proyecto, que se desarrolló en dos semanas de marzo de 2013. Consistió esencialmente en trabajos orientados a completar la documentación de algunas zonas puntuales y, especialmente, a obtener nuevas evidencias estratigráficas y muestreos que permitan abordar una extensa fase analítica: se realizaron 10 nuevos sondeos en puntos del amplio conjunto de terrazas y campos de cultivo, y un detallado programa de muestreo, que amplía mucho los muestreos recuperados en campañas anteriores.
Adicionalmente a esos objetivos, ya planteados al inicio, se realizaron una serie de pruebas para la obtención de representaciones 3D de la topografía de la zona y de estructuras concretas por medio del tratamiento fotogramétrico de las imágenes de satélite disponibles y de fotografías digitales convencionales. Con ello se ha obtenido una topografía de detalle del área de trabajo de suma utilidad, así como algunos ejemplos de modelos 3D de estructuras como canales o terrazas de cultivo, de gran potencialidad analítica y divulgativa.
Adicionalmente a esos objetivos, ya planteados al inicio, se realizaron una serie de pruebas para la obtención de representaciones 3D de la topografía de la zona y de estructuras concretas por medio del tratamiento fotogramétrico de las imágenes de satélite disponibles y de fotografías digitales convencionales. Con ello se ha obtenido una topografía de detalle del área de trabajo de suma utilidad, así como algunos ejemplos de modelos 3D de estructuras como canales o terrazas de cultivo, de gran potencialidad analítica y divulgativa.
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Se presentan de forma sintética los resultados de la segunda campaña de campo del proyecto. La campaña se desarrolló entre finales de noviembre y mediados de diciembre de 2011 y consistió en tres tipos de trabajos fundamentales. El... more
Se presentan de forma sintética los resultados de la segunda campaña de campo del proyecto. La campaña se desarrolló entre finales de noviembre y mediados de diciembre
de 2011 y consistió en tres tipos de trabajos fundamentales.
El primero fue la documentación superficial de aquellas partes del entorno del sitio de Topaín que habían quedado documentadas de forma sólo genérica en el primer año, 2010.
Para ello se siguió una metodología de trabajo muy similar a la empleada entonces, poniendo el acento en la documentación de las relaciones estratigráficas entre diferentes sectores de los
canales de irrigación y entre éstos y las demás estructuras (terrazas, construcciones).
El segundo fue la realización de algunos sondeos en determinados puntos del amplio conjunto de terrazas y campos de cultivo, con la finalidad de documentar su estratigrafía interna y de recoger muestras para contribuir a determinar su uso y datación.
El tercero fue iniciar un programa sistemático de recogida de muestras en diferentes sectores de los canales de irrigación, y en algunos perfiles naturales, con la finalidad de realizar en ellas analíticas que permitan aclarar sus procesos y secuencias de formación, uso y abandono.
de 2011 y consistió en tres tipos de trabajos fundamentales.
El primero fue la documentación superficial de aquellas partes del entorno del sitio de Topaín que habían quedado documentadas de forma sólo genérica en el primer año, 2010.
Para ello se siguió una metodología de trabajo muy similar a la empleada entonces, poniendo el acento en la documentación de las relaciones estratigráficas entre diferentes sectores de los
canales de irrigación y entre éstos y las demás estructuras (terrazas, construcciones).
El segundo fue la realización de algunos sondeos en determinados puntos del amplio conjunto de terrazas y campos de cultivo, con la finalidad de documentar su estratigrafía interna y de recoger muestras para contribuir a determinar su uso y datación.
El tercero fue iniciar un programa sistemático de recogida de muestras en diferentes sectores de los canales de irrigación, y en algunos perfiles naturales, con la finalidad de realizar en ellas analíticas que permitan aclarar sus procesos y secuencias de formación, uso y abandono.
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Historical towns are among the most complex cases of heritage data management. As it may be the case in any other type of heritage site, knowing the spatial distribution of heritage elements is reason enough to support the development of... more
Historical towns are among the most complex cases of heritage data management. As it may be the case in any other type of heritage site, knowing the spatial distribution of heritage elements is reason enough to support the development of GIS-based tools for information management. But, besides that, two factors add up to further encourage the adoption of GIS-based technologies in those contexts. Firstly, historical towns are especially complex heritage sites, where a wide variety of interrelated material elements coexist (buildings, open spaces, buried features,…), quite often in close relationship with a significant body of documents describing them. Secondly, they are places subject to an intense daily activity and pressure that force to take frequent informed decisions on what to do with heritage elements, decisions that must be based on an accurate and updated knowledge of the evidence available. In this paper we will present the case of the SIP-Sistema de Información Patrimonial (Heritage Information System) developed for the historical town of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Designed and developed between 2006 and 2008 for the Consorcio de Santiago, the SIP is a web-based GIS tool that integrates spatial and documentary information (http://sip.consorciodesantiago.org/). It was aimed at two parallel aims. First, to assist the management needs of the Consorcio. Second, and considering the role of the town as an important cultural tourism destination, to disseminate the information produced by the numerous heritage projects developed in the town among both the general public and the specialists.
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Cultural Heritage is a group of resources identified as a reflection of certain values, beliefs, knowledge and tradition by a certain community. These resources are subject to management, preservation and diffusion through legislative and... more
Cultural Heritage is a group of resources identified as a reflection of certain values, beliefs, knowledge and tradition by a certain community. These resources are subject to management, preservation and diffusion through legislative and administrative means, which makes cultural heritage fall within the scope of Protected sites, one of the spatial data themes established in Annex I of the INSPIRE Directive. The INSPIRE Data Specification on Protected Sites thus serves as the starting point for modelling cultural heritage information in order to implement, distribute and share it in an interoperable framework based on Spatial Data Infrastructures. Unfortunately, this data specification was primarily conceived for natural protected sites, which makes an extension necessary if it is to be applied to cultural features. This papers proposes an extension composed of three parts: one devoted to administrative information —including legal protection—, another describes the feature itself, and, a third part is dedicated to the inclusion of additional documentation (texts, images, etc.).
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In addition to its legal implications, INSPIRE represents the most important movement towards a true implementation of interoperable spatial data services. Cultural Heritage is a thematic field that is not considered separately within... more
In addition to its legal implications, INSPIRE represents the most important movement towards a true implementation of interoperable spatial data services. Cultural Heritage is a thematic field that is not considered separately within INSPIRE, although some portions of it do fall within the category of Protected Sites, listed in Annex I, and also in the theme Buildings in Annex III. Developing an extended schema for Cultural Heritage data within the INSPIRE framework is an essential step towards allowing heritage information to become yet another part of the wider field of spatial information. Our aim is to achieve this by taking advantage of the benefits of the “INSPIRE movement”. This paper presents some insights into the development of such an application schema, focusing on some general, conceptual considerations upon which that specific data model has been built.
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Settlement fortification is a widely extended feature in the archaeological record. The assessment of the meaning and function of fortifications is usually a key issue for the social and political characterization of the contexts where it... more
Settlement fortification is a widely extended feature in the archaeological record. The assessment of the meaning and function of fortifications is usually a key issue for the social and political characterization of the contexts where it occurs. This paper develops a GIS-based analytical procedure which aims at exploring and assess, in a measurable way, the locational and constructive decisions behind the fortification of settlement areas. At the onset, two main hypotheses are formed: the construction of settlement defenses is made according to the logic of monumentality, or to an actual logic of defense. Some measurable variables are explored that can be linked to either hypothesis: where and how defenses should be expected to occur within a specific settlement if they are aimed at a defensive function, and where and how if aimed at a monumental role. A case study, an Iron Age settlement in Galicia (NW Spain), illustrates the applicability of this procedure, and the way in which the variables considered are weighted. The paper focuses on the discussion of the foundations and practical details of an analytical procedure that is easily reproducible with any available GIS software, rather than on the exploration of the interpretative issues raised by the results.
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As the title suggests, this contribution refers to social change in the long term. However, it does not deal directly with “early social stratification and the State”, but with a prior question. We are interested in understanding how and... more
As the title suggests, this contribution refers to social change in the long term. However, it does not deal directly with “early social stratification and the State”, but with a prior question. We are interested in understanding how and why the conditions emerge and are established that make social complexity a viable pathway at some point. Two notions taken from the work of P. Clastres are used as theoretical guidelines: those of the undivided and the divided society. The contribution begins with some theoretical considerations about the notions of change, resistance and social division. A case study, the NW Iberian Peninsula between ca. 4500 BC and the Roman conquest, is used to build a narrative to account for which factors can deploy and extend division within a social body, or extend the indivision. The interpretive model offered for that period and area is based on tension between processes of division and resistance. It tells a long story marked by recurrent backward and forward leaps, and cyclic series, where mechanisms developed to alleviate division can also favor the expansion of social coercion and exploitation.
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Obtaining models of cultural heritage that guarantee information interoperability and, at the same time, maintain a high degree of fitness to the problem at hand is not a trivial quest. This paper proposes a two-step approach to attain... more
Obtaining models of cultural heritage that guarantee information interoperability and, at the same time, maintain a high degree of fitness to the problem at hand is not a trivial quest. This paper proposes a two-step approach to attain this, where particular models for each problem at hand are derived from a common, standardised Cultural Heritage Abstract Reference Model (CHARM) by using specific rules that guarantee abstract interoperability while allowing for as much specificity as necessary. This is illustrated through a case study involving three different communities, each with a different conceptual model of cultural heritage, which still generate a seamless object model.
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The paper makes an overview on the current state of GIS-based initiatives to share Heritage information in Spain, pointing at some of the issues that explain why this field is still greatly under developed, with the exception of a few... more
The paper makes an overview on the current state of GIS-based initiatives to share Heritage information in Spain, pointing at some of the issues that explain why this field is still greatly under developed, with the exception of a few regions: fragmentation or arguable policies about data sharing. Contrastingly, demands for a wider access to Heritage data are increasing, and unofficial agents, both from the academic realm or just from the civil society, have begun to fulfill those demands with the development of different web based services. Some examples of these are also presented. The paper ends with some remarks on the current situation and perspectives on future developments.
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We present a Cultural Heritage data model built under the European INSPIRE Directive. This model extends the Data Specification on Protected Sites –one of the reference spatial data themes of the INSPIRE Annex I– through the development... more
We present a Cultural Heritage data model built under the European INSPIRE Directive. This model extends the Data Specification on Protected Sites –one of the reference spatial data themes of the INSPIRE Annex I– through the development of cultural issues by means of new classes and attributes. The aim is to achieve an interoperable schema that allows organising and sharing georeferenced cultural heritage information via Spatial Data Infrastructures. This involves the use of standards and norms about several topics, such as geographical information, cultural heritage and document resources. The data model includes three parts: 1) a legal part about the administrative definition of protected sites, 2) a cultural part devoted to the description of the cultural entities that are subject of valuation and protection, and 3) a document part for the inclusion of information resources (texts, images and so on) about these cultural entities.
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""The appropriate management of archaeological heritage in particular, and cultural heritage in general, requires that we have a deep and shared understanding of what it is and what it is composed of. Without clear answers to these... more
""The appropriate management of archaeological heritage in particular, and cultural heritage in general, requires that we have a deep and shared understanding of what it is and what it is composed of. Without clear answers to these questions, efforts to act on and preserve cultural heritage run the risk to be misguided. This need has been acknowledged by charters and directives; however, there is no clear shared understanding of the underlying concepts and very few analytic efforts have been made to clarify them. Older approaches used to emphasise the intrinsic properties of omething to decide whether or not it was part of cultural heritage; nowadays, the trend is to look at how communities of people assign
value to things. This paper presents a conceptual model of cultural, including archaeological, heritage that addresses two major concerns: what cultural heritage is (its definition) and why something becomes cultural heritage (its motivation).""
value to things. This paper presents a conceptual model of cultural, including archaeological, heritage that addresses two major concerns: what cultural heritage is (its definition) and why something becomes cultural heritage (its motivation).""
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""The text summarizes the results of the first field season of the project “Fortified Landscapes in the Andean Altiplano Andino. The field season was carried out between November and December 2010. It consisted basically, as proposed in... more
""The text summarizes the results of the first field season
of the project “Fortified Landscapes in the Andean Altiplano Andino. The field season was carried out between November and December 2010. It consisted basically, as proposed in the project, in the superficial documentation of the settlement site of Topaín and its environs, including an exceptional assembly of irrigation channels and cultivation fields. Additionally, an extensive survey of the wider environment was made, which allowed the definition of a wider working area that includes other contemporary sites that we will deal with in the next years.
Besides purely archaeological works, collaboration with the local community was started this year, and will be fostered in the incoming field seasons.""
of the project “Fortified Landscapes in the Andean Altiplano Andino. The field season was carried out between November and December 2010. It consisted basically, as proposed in the project, in the superficial documentation of the settlement site of Topaín and its environs, including an exceptional assembly of irrigation channels and cultivation fields. Additionally, an extensive survey of the wider environment was made, which allowed the definition of a wider working area that includes other contemporary sites that we will deal with in the next years.
Besides purely archaeological works, collaboration with the local community was started this year, and will be fostered in the incoming field seasons.""
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"The aim of this paper is to extend the range of current analytical procedures that archaeologists use to understand movement. In particular, how a landscape becomes ordered by simply defining a destination. More specifically, this study... more
"The aim of this paper is to extend the range of current analytical procedures that archaeologists use to understand movement. In particular, how a landscape becomes ordered by simply defining a destination.
More specifically, this study proposes the derivation of a focal mobility network, i.e. the network of most likely paths towards a given destination, and explores several of its applications within a landscape archaeology framework. The suggested extensions are based on existing standard procedures within most GIS. A series of synthetic control surfaces and an archaeological study focused around Iron Age hillforts in Galicia (NW Spain) are used as case studies to illustrate different analytical possibilities."
More specifically, this study proposes the derivation of a focal mobility network, i.e. the network of most likely paths towards a given destination, and explores several of its applications within a landscape archaeology framework. The suggested extensions are based on existing standard procedures within most GIS. A series of synthetic control surfaces and an archaeological study focused around Iron Age hillforts in Galicia (NW Spain) are used as case studies to illustrate different analytical possibilities."
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Dentro de los ámbitos posibles de aplicación del conjunto de las llamadas tecnologías geoespaciales (SIG y similares) a la arqueología seguramente el menos atractivo es aquél relacionado no con las diferentes posibilidades analíticas... more
Dentro de los ámbitos posibles de aplicación del conjunto de las llamadas tecnologías geoespaciales (SIG y similares) a la arqueología seguramente el menos atractivo es aquél relacionado no con las diferentes posibilidades analíticas orientadas a la investigación de problemas históricos, sino con la “simple” gestión de la información. Este es un ámbito casi siempre poco agradecido, en el que no por casualidad los arqueólogos hemos ido cediendo terreno a otros expertos (informáticos), aunque procuraremos argumentar que de forma un tanto imprudente. De forma breve y seguramente parcial, lo que este texto pretende es ofrecer una serie de reflexiones generales sobre las posibilidades y condiciones para la gestión digital de la información arqueológica, y especialmente reclamar la importancia de atender a este tipo de cuestiones como un ámbito relevante de trabajo y desarrollo.
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Iron Age is a privileged context throughout western Europe to explore one of the key issues in the development of social complexity: the emergence and/or consolidation of highly complex social formations. While those processes follow... more
Iron Age is a privileged context throughout western Europe to explore one of the key issues in the development of social complexity: the emergence and/or consolidation of highly complex social formations. While those processes follow different rhythms and forms in different areas, some common trends have been outlined since quite a while ago. For a long time, approaches have been based upon a rather linear evolutionary perspective, where the development of complex social and political structures was what had to be expected. This paper will focus on the development of a proposal to understand Later Prehistory and Iron Age from the basis of P. Clastres’ “societies against the state” model. While it is rather obvious that those communities can not be labeled as “primitive”, the idea of a regular social resistance to complexity can prove to be fruitful when applied to changing and often ambiguous records. A good arena to explore that question can be found in the not-so-classical Iron Age record of peripheral areas, as NW Iberian Peninsula.
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En el noroeste de la Península Ibérica, de forma similar a lo que ocurre en otras áreas, se registran una serie de transformaciones en las formas de almacenamiento de los productos agrícolas a lo largo de los momentos finales de la... more
En el noroeste de la Península Ibérica, de forma similar a lo que ocurre en otras áreas, se registran una serie de transformaciones en las formas de almacenamiento de los productos agrícolas a lo largo de los momentos finales de la Prehistoria Reciente y Protohistoria. Más allá de la relación de estas transformaciones con cambios de tipo tecnológico, su análisis puede aportar interesantes informaciones relativas a las formas de estructuración del espacio doméstico y los procesos de producción y reproducción de las unidades domésticas y de las comunidades en que éstas se integran. En este texto se hará un repaso descriptivo a los rasgos principales de esas formas de almacenamiento desde finales de la Edad del Bronce hasta el cambio de era. A partir de ahí, se propondrán una serie posibles implicaciones de esos cambios en la lectura en clave productiva y social de este amplio período.
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A series of samples extracted from the stratigraphic profile of a possible cultivation terrace located in the surroundings of an Iron Age hillfort in Galicia were aimed for pollen analysis. The combined results of both the stratigraphic... more
A series of samples extracted from the stratigraphic profile of a possible cultivation terrace located in the surroundings of an Iron Age hillfort in Galicia were aimed for pollen analysis. The combined results of both the stratigraphic information and the pollen analysis allow to propose a sequence of landscape transformation where, rather unexpectedly, the stronger intensification in the use of the area, corresponding to the occupation of the hillfort and the construction of cultivation structures, coincides with an increase in the forested areas in the environment. However, the results of the analysis also document the construction of a landscape where the effects of human action are progressively more visible.
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"Dentro del ampliamente estudiado conjunto de producciones de oro castreñas, las llamadas arracadas representan un grupo de piezas con dos grandes singularidades: han sido en general menos atendidas que otras producciones, como los... more
"Dentro del ampliamente estudiado conjunto de producciones de oro castreñas, las llamadas arracadas representan un grupo de piezas con dos grandes singularidades: han sido en general menos atendidas que otras producciones, como los torques, pero suelen asociarse a contextos arqueológicos mejor conocidos y más informativos. En este trabajo se realiza una contribución a la definición de este tipo de producciones, a partir de dos perspectivas complementarias esenciales: sus contextos y las tecnologías de su producción. La base de la presentación es una nueva pieza documentada en intervenciones recientes en el castro de Punta dos Prados (A Coruña). A partir del análisis tecnológico y contextual de esta pieza, se hace un repaso del conjunto conocido de producciones semejantes, entre ellas una también nueva pieza procedente del castro de Castrolandín (Pontevedra).
Among the widely considered and published assemblage of the Castro culture golden objects, the so called “arracadas” (ear rings) offer two major singularities: on the one hand, they have raised significantly less interest than other objects, such as torcs, while, on the other hand, they usually provide well known and more informative archaeological contexts. In this paper a contribution to the characterization of such objects is provided, based upon two complementary perspectives: contextual and technological. The paper largely relies upon the presentation of a new example documented in the recent archaeological works in the castro of Punta dos Prados (A Coruña). After a detailed contextual and technological analysis of that piece, a review is made of similar objects, among them an also new one documented in the castro of Castrolandín (Pontevedra)."
Among the widely considered and published assemblage of the Castro culture golden objects, the so called “arracadas” (ear rings) offer two major singularities: on the one hand, they have raised significantly less interest than other objects, such as torcs, while, on the other hand, they usually provide well known and more informative archaeological contexts. In this paper a contribution to the characterization of such objects is provided, based upon two complementary perspectives: contextual and technological. The paper largely relies upon the presentation of a new example documented in the recent archaeological works in the castro of Punta dos Prados (A Coruña). After a detailed contextual and technological analysis of that piece, a review is made of similar objects, among them an also new one documented in the castro of Castrolandín (Pontevedra)."
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La comunicación presentará el modelo de cooperación científica que representa el proyecto de desarrollo del LAPPU, el Laboratorio de Arqueología del Paisaje y Patrimonio del Uruguay. Este proyecto, que entra en su segundo año de... more
La comunicación presentará el modelo de cooperación científica que representa el proyecto de desarrollo del LAPPU, el Laboratorio de Arqueología del Paisaje y Patrimonio del Uruguay. Este proyecto, que entra en su segundo año de desarrollo, es el resultado de la conversión de una larga colaboración entre equipos de España y Uruguay, originada en el ámbito de la arqueología del paisaje, en un proyecto de capacitación y creación de una unidad de trabajo sostenible, orientada al desarrollo de acciones relacionadas con la incorporación del patrimonio cultural en las políticas de ordenación territorial y desarrollo local. La comunicación versará especialmente sobre el modelo de cooperación que este proyecto pretende representar, repasando su trayectoria hasta el momento en que se ha empezado a materializar.
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Movement has played a relevant role in the archaeological analyses of territoriality in the recent years. The incorporation of technologies such as GIS has reinforced that role, since they have made possible to deeply and widely explore... more
Movement has played a relevant role in the archaeological analyses of territoriality in the recent years. The incorporation of technologies such as GIS has reinforced that role, since they have made possible to deeply and widely explore the natural constraints for movement. In this paper we develop a procedure to explore the relationship between networks of pathways, settlements and territory, following a “rearward” perspective that tries to approach the processes of historical transformation of pathways. The proposal is applied to an area in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula), between the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Se presenta el diseño de un proyecto de investigación desarrollado desde los planteamientos de la Arqueología del Paisaje, en el cual el recurso a herramientas SIG es una parte relevante. La intención del trabajo es, en todo caso,... more
Se presenta el diseño de un proyecto de investigación desarrollado desde los planteamientos de la Arqueología del Paisaje, en el cual el recurso a herramientas SIG es una parte relevante. La intención del trabajo es, en todo caso, relativizar la importancia del SIG en una investigación de carácter ampliamente territorial, mostrando cómo su mayor o menor utilidad se deriva no tanto de su potencial analítico como de su inserción en un esquema metodológico general que lo hace signifi cativo. El proyecto presentado concibe el empleo de los SIG como herramientas analíticas en las que, a partir de un proceso de representación de la realidad, es más sencillo construir conocimiento arqueológico a partir de un análisis comparativo que proponer una reconstrucción positiva de las condiciones prehistóricas. En concreto el proyecto se centra en el análisis de las formas de poblamiento durante la Edad del Hierro en el noroeste de la península Ibérica.
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El artículo ofrece una aproximación al análisis arqueológico y la reconstrucción de los paisajes agrarios en la Edad del Hierro del noroeste de la Península, a través del examen de varios casos de estudio. Se combinan dos estrategias... more
El artículo ofrece una aproximación al análisis arqueológico y la reconstrucción de los paisajes agrarios en la Edad del Hierro del noroeste de la Península, a través del examen de varios casos de estudio. Se combinan dos estrategias analíticas complementarias. La primera se basa en un análisis locacional de varios poblados, empleando una secuencia de trabajo con SIG que ha sido testada en otros casos y áreas, de la que resulta una hipótesis comparativa entre las posibilidades productivas potenciales de sus entornos. A continuación se recurre al registro directo de esos entornos para verificar la correspondencia, en términos ya positivos, de las hipótesis comparativas anteriores. Esta verificación maneja datos de estructuras agrarias documentadas en los entornos de estos castros y trata de correlacionar sus morfologías y posibles usos originales con los resultados derivados del análisis locacional, mostrando cómo las diferencias en términos locacionales se correlacionan con diferentes formas de construcción del espacio agrario.
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The paper shows an approach to the archaeological analysis and reconstruction of the Iron Age agrarian landscapes in the NW of the Iberian peninsula, through the examination of different examples. Two complementary analytical strategies are combined. The first one is based on a locational analysis of some settlements, from a methodological approach largely based on GIS that has previously been tested in other areas. From here a comparative hypothesis betweeen the potential ability for production of their environments is extracted. Then we will focus on the direct record of the surroundings of those sites in order to verify, in positive terms, the correspondence of the former hypothesis. This is done by bringing about data of ancient agrarian structures documented in those surroundings, and trying to put them in relation with the results derived from the locational analysis. In the end the aim is to show how differences in location correspond to different forms in the construction of the agrarian spaces.
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The paper shows an approach to the archaeological analysis and reconstruction of the Iron Age agrarian landscapes in the NW of the Iberian peninsula, through the examination of different examples. Two complementary analytical strategies are combined. The first one is based on a locational analysis of some settlements, from a methodological approach largely based on GIS that has previously been tested in other areas. From here a comparative hypothesis betweeen the potential ability for production of their environments is extracted. Then we will focus on the direct record of the surroundings of those sites in order to verify, in positive terms, the correspondence of the former hypothesis. This is done by bringing about data of ancient agrarian structures documented in those surroundings, and trying to put them in relation with the results derived from the locational analysis. In the end the aim is to show how differences in location correspond to different forms in the construction of the agrarian spaces.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Se realiza una revisión de las distintas formas que la fortificación adquiere a lo largo del amplio período de vigencia de la Cultura Castrexa en el noroeste ibérico. En concreto se parte de la premisa de considerar el carácter cambiante... more
Se realiza una revisión de las distintas formas que la fortificación adquiere a lo largo del amplio período de vigencia de la Cultura Castrexa en el noroeste ibérico. En concreto se parte de la premisa de considerar el carácter cambiante de los procesos sociales y culturales en este amplio período para, a partir de ello, plantear la posibilidad de que uno de sus rasgos más característicos, el asentamiento fortificado, pueda haber estado sometido a procesos de transformación y reformulación. Más concretamente se trata de superar un análisis meramente formal de estas transformaciones para acceder a los patrones de racionalidad que están detrás de las distintas formas de fortificación entendida como el principal modo de construcción de la monumentalidad en este período.
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The text offers an overview of the archaeological record of the so-called Cultura Castrexa or Hillfort Culture, corresponding to the Iron Age and part of the Indigenous-Roman period in the north-western Iberian Peninsula, traditionally... more
The text offers an overview of the archaeological record of the so-called Cultura Castrexa or Hillfort Culture, corresponding to the Iron Age and part of the Indigenous-Roman period in the north-western Iberian Peninsula, traditionally considered a Celtic region. A diachronic scheme is used, showing the main features of settlement patterns and forms, locations, land use, territoriality, and material culture forms and styles for each of the phases into which the period has been traditionally divided. In closing, we offer a brief summary of the more relevant interpretative trends, followed by a brief historical reconstruction of the period based on anthropological concepts such as the Germanic Mode of Production.
Research Interests:
"The paper reviews the usefulness of the historical-anthropological models of peasantry and Germanic Mode of Production applied to the analysis of the Castro culture (Cultura Castrexa) (the Iron Age of the north-western Iberian... more
"The paper reviews the usefulness of the historical-anthropological models of
peasantry and Germanic Mode of Production applied to the analysis of the Castro
culture (Cultura Castrexa) (the Iron Age of the north-western Iberian Peninsula). A
historical reconstruction of the period is developed, in which the strain between local
community and familial units constitutes one of the most important agents in the
process of change, according to a discourse largely based on the proposals of P. Clastres
on ‘societies against the state’. A relevant role is given to different forms of violence
and conflict; initially they are understood as active mechanisms in inter-community
relations although later they would rather become virtual and latent elements that allow
the development of a model of social relations that can be defined as a non-class ‘heroic
society’."
peasantry and Germanic Mode of Production applied to the analysis of the Castro
culture (Cultura Castrexa) (the Iron Age of the north-western Iberian Peninsula). A
historical reconstruction of the period is developed, in which the strain between local
community and familial units constitutes one of the most important agents in the
process of change, according to a discourse largely based on the proposals of P. Clastres
on ‘societies against the state’. A relevant role is given to different forms of violence
and conflict; initially they are understood as active mechanisms in inter-community
relations although later they would rather become virtual and latent elements that allow
the development of a model of social relations that can be defined as a non-class ‘heroic
society’."
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A detailed locational analysis of Iron Age hillforts in an area of Galicia is performed, based on a methodological scheme where the use of Geographic Information Systems is included. Two models of position are revealed from that analysis,... more
A detailed locational analysis of Iron Age hillforts in an area of Galicia is performed, based on a methodological scheme where the use of Geographic Information Systems is included. Two models of position are revealed from that analysis, corresponding to differences in the formal appearance of hillforts. That allows to suggest a sequence of ‘cultural development’ alternate to the three traditional phases and structured in an Early Iron Age fairly different to the apparent continuity between the Second Iron Age and the indigenous-roman period. Finally the alternate chance of the long term occupation is discussed, based on the data from the site of Alto do Castro and showing its coherency with the proposed historical sequence. This also allows to evaluate the significance of the results obtained in the selected area.
Research Interests:
The use of digital tools for the 3D documentation of archaeological sites and artifacts, rock art among them, has become extremely popular in archaeology in the last years. When compared to other archaeological features, rock art poses... more
The use of digital tools for the 3D documentation of archaeological sites and artifacts, rock art among them, has become extremely popular in archaeology in the last years. When compared to other archaeological features, rock art poses some additional challenges for 3D documentation, namely the need to combine different granularities in order to document both the details of the engravings and the general layout of the terrain around, assuming that we are interested in approaching rock art from a landscape perspective.
In this paper we will present the process we followed for the 3D documentation of the site of Villavil 2, in the Andean valley of Hualfin (Catamarca, Argentina). This site that occupies a scenic location in the landscape, on top of a vertical cliff with difficult access that gives access to a dead-end gorge where different remains of ancient activity are visible on the ground. Different engravings exist on some rocks located near the edge of the cliff, dating from the Desarrollos Regionales (ca. 1000 -1430 AD) and Inca (1430-1532 AD) periods. A combination of low altitude aerial images taken from a UAV and ground photography allowed us to create a mosaic of different granularity of both the rock engravings and the whole area, that were processed to produce different 3D models, not without some difficulties.
The paper will discuss the challenges, costs and benefits of the field documentation and the production of the 3D models, with a special emphasis on the possibilities and limitations for the use of the 3D datasets that we have produced. We will also present some preliminary results of the archaeological characterization of the site.
In this paper we will present the process we followed for the 3D documentation of the site of Villavil 2, in the Andean valley of Hualfin (Catamarca, Argentina). This site that occupies a scenic location in the landscape, on top of a vertical cliff with difficult access that gives access to a dead-end gorge where different remains of ancient activity are visible on the ground. Different engravings exist on some rocks located near the edge of the cliff, dating from the Desarrollos Regionales (ca. 1000 -1430 AD) and Inca (1430-1532 AD) periods. A combination of low altitude aerial images taken from a UAV and ground photography allowed us to create a mosaic of different granularity of both the rock engravings and the whole area, that were processed to produce different 3D models, not without some difficulties.
The paper will discuss the challenges, costs and benefits of the field documentation and the production of the 3D models, with a special emphasis on the possibilities and limitations for the use of the 3D datasets that we have produced. We will also present some preliminary results of the archaeological characterization of the site.
Research Interests:
The Atacama Desert has been historically an area with a very low density of human settlement, basically due to its extreme environmental conditions (aridity, altitude). But these environmental conditions have also permitted an... more
The Atacama Desert has been historically an area with a very low density of human settlement, basically due to its extreme environmental conditions (aridity, altitude). But these environmental conditions have also permitted an extraordinary degree of both preservation and visibility of the ancient constructions in the landscape. Taking advantage of that, the use of aerial images for archaeological prospection is here even more fruitful than in temperate or tropical regions. And this includes the ability to create accurate 3D models of large and complex sites that can be used to analyse them in different ways. In this paper we will present the process of creation of a highly detailed 3D model of the site of Turi, the largest Prehispanic settlement in the Atacama, based on low altitude aerial images taken with a UAV. We will describe the processes of data capture and processing to achieve a final result, as well as some preliminary results of the analytical approaches to the site that the 3D model is making possible.
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The interpretation of the archaeological record of the Later Prehistory in the north-western Iberian Peninsula in terms of social and political complexity has witnessed a significant leap in the recent years. As has been the case in many... more
The interpretation of the archaeological record of the Later Prehistory in the north-western Iberian Peninsula in terms of social and political complexity has witnessed a significant leap in the recent years. As has been the case in many other parts of Western Europe, two particular topics (among others) have been at the centre of the discussion: on the one hand, the relevance of the notions of social resistance and resilience as a key factor to understand the trajectories of the social groups in the area. On the other hand, the incorporation of a finer grained view about the different historical trajectories within the region.
In this paper we will explore these two issues together. Drawing on the hypothesis that the transition between the Later Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age can be interpreted in terms of a reaction against trends towards social division, we will explore to what extent this was a general process within the region. To do that, we will explore the extent to which the archaeological evidence used to propose that idea can be equally found in the whole area of the north-western Iberian Peninsula at the same, or similar, time. We will focus on temporal and regional variability in some dimensions of the archaeological record: circulation and deposition of metal objects, emergence of settlement fortification, long distance trade, and architectural structure of settlements. Our aim is to discuss and further refine the initial hypothesis, and to possibly get some insights into the subsequent trajectories of human communities in this region.
In this paper we will explore these two issues together. Drawing on the hypothesis that the transition between the Later Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age can be interpreted in terms of a reaction against trends towards social division, we will explore to what extent this was a general process within the region. To do that, we will explore the extent to which the archaeological evidence used to propose that idea can be equally found in the whole area of the north-western Iberian Peninsula at the same, or similar, time. We will focus on temporal and regional variability in some dimensions of the archaeological record: circulation and deposition of metal objects, emergence of settlement fortification, long distance trade, and architectural structure of settlements. Our aim is to discuss and further refine the initial hypothesis, and to possibly get some insights into the subsequent trajectories of human communities in this region.
Research Interests:
GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in the recent years as ways to approach the forms of mobility in the past. Quite frequently they have been used as... more
GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in the recent years as ways to approach the forms of mobility in the past. Quite frequently they have been used as tools to reconstruct (predict) the routes of ancient paths and roads, especially in prehistoric contexts. However they can also be used within a “postdictive” perspective where the aim is not to reconstruct lost parts of evidence (the missing route of a road) but rather to find a logic in the pieces of evidence we actually know about (the archaeological record). This approach is especially useful when we have a significant amount of evidence available, in highly formal archaeological contexts.
This is usually the case of the Roman roads, as in the NW Iberian Peninsula. Here, in the Roman provice of Gallaecia, a number of scholars have contributed extensively to the reconstruction of the likely routes of the main Roman roads in the last decades. In this paper we will show a complementary approach that, based on a LCP analysis, tries to tackle the question of why the roads follow those particular routes. By doing so, we will try to understand the influence of topographic factors in the road network, and the role of some particular sites in the social, administrative and political organization of the territory.
This is usually the case of the Roman roads, as in the NW Iberian Peninsula. Here, in the Roman provice of Gallaecia, a number of scholars have contributed extensively to the reconstruction of the likely routes of the main Roman roads in the last decades. In this paper we will show a complementary approach that, based on a LCP analysis, tries to tackle the question of why the roads follow those particular routes. By doing so, we will try to understand the influence of topographic factors in the road network, and the role of some particular sites in the social, administrative and political organization of the territory.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The poster will summarize the methodological process for the detailed documentation of a vast complex of late Prehispanic agrarian elements (fields, irrigation canals) in the deserted area of Atacama (northern Chile). As opposed to the... more
The poster will summarize the methodological process for the detailed documentation of a vast complex of late Prehispanic agrarian elements (fields, irrigation canals) in the deserted area of Atacama (northern Chile). As opposed to the usual conditions for prospection in temperate regions, where the visibility of archaeological features is usually poor and confusing, here the extreme dryness of the landscape allowed an extraordinary preservation and visibility of fields, canals and other constructions.
The approach was initially based on a combination of visual interpretation of high resolution satellite images (GeoEye 1) and fieldwork for mapping the layout and shape of most of the elements (canals, groups of fields, settlement areas). For the accurate documentation of smaller or densely built areas, an SFM-based photogrammetry approach was carried out, based on the use of 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.
The approach was initially based on a combination of visual interpretation of high resolution satellite images (GeoEye 1) and fieldwork for mapping the layout and shape of most of the elements (canals, groups of fields, settlement areas). For the accurate documentation of smaller or densely built areas, an SFM-based photogrammetry approach was carried out, based on the use of 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.
Research Interests:
The poster summarizes the methodological process for the detailed documentation of a vast complex of late Prehispanic agrarian elements (fields, irrigation canals) in the deserted area of Atacama (northern Chile). As opposed to the usual... more
The poster summarizes the methodological process for the detailed documentation of a vast complex of late Prehispanic agrarian elements (fields, irrigation canals) in the deserted area of Atacama (northern Chile). As opposed to the usual conditions for prospection in temperate regions, where the visibility of archaeological features is usually poor and confusing, here the extreme dryness of the landscape allowed an extraordinary preservation and visibility of fields, canals and other constructions.
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.
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.
Research Interests:
Geospatial technologies have proved their enormous value for different aspects of the archaeological work, being one of them their ability to allow the description and documentation of archaeological features at larger scales and with... more
Geospatial technologies have proved their enormous value for different aspects of the archaeological work, being one of them their ability to allow the description and documentation of archaeological features at larger scales and with higher detail than ever before. In this paper we shall present an overview of the process of documentation and mapping of an area of ancient fields and irrigation canals around the prehispanic settlement site of Topaín, in the Andean periphery of Northern Chile. As opposed to the usual conditions for prospection in temperate regions, where the visibility of archaeological features is usually poor and confusing, here the extreme dryness of the landscape allowed an extraordinary condition and visibility of fields, channels and other constructions. The use of high resolution satellite images, combined with GPS, allowed us a fast and accurate mapping and documentation of more than 1000 individual features in less than two months of fieldwork. But besides mapping, this approach has provided with a better understanding of how all that system was built, evolved and changed in time, allowing the proposal of a sound hypothetical sequence of the use and transformation of this area before and after the inca period.
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Esta comunicación presenta una aproximación a la organización de los espacios productivos agrícolas localizados en el entorno del denominado pukara de Topain (Loa Superior). Durante dos campañas de trabajo de campo (2010 y 2011) se... more
Esta comunicación presenta una aproximación a la organización de los espacios productivos agrícolas localizados en el entorno del denominado pukara de Topain (Loa Superior). Durante dos campañas de trabajo de campo (2010 y 2011) se documentó un conjunto de campos y terrazas de cultivo, así como la red de canales de irrigación asociada, cubriendo un área aproximada de 200 Has.
A partir de este trabajo, se plantean algunas hipótesis relativas a su secuencia de formación y uso. En específico, por medio de un análisis formal constructivo de los elementos estructurales (canales y terrazas) y de las relaciones estratigráficas entre ellos, se plantea una secuencia hipotética acerca de la existencia de dos formas sucesivas de organización del espacio productivo en el lugar, una del PIT y la segunda de época incaica.
Junto con caracterizar estas dos modalidades, se discute el rol de los sistemas productivos agrícolas en las dinámicas sociales del período Intermedio Tardío y Tardío en el Loa Superior.
A partir de este trabajo, se plantean algunas hipótesis relativas a su secuencia de formación y uso. En específico, por medio de un análisis formal constructivo de los elementos estructurales (canales y terrazas) y de las relaciones estratigráficas entre ellos, se plantea una secuencia hipotética acerca de la existencia de dos formas sucesivas de organización del espacio productivo en el lugar, una del PIT y la segunda de época incaica.
Junto con caracterizar estas dos modalidades, se discute el rol de los sistemas productivos agrícolas en las dinámicas sociales del período Intermedio Tardío y Tardío en el Loa Superior.
Research Interests:
This poster presents a case study aimed at evaluating the applicability for 3D documentation of archaeological features of a “Hellkite” equipped with a compact digital camera, combined with software based on “structure from motion” (SfM)... more
This poster presents a case study aimed at evaluating the applicability for 3D documentation of archaeological features of a “Hellkite” equipped with a compact digital camera, combined with software based on “structure from motion” (SfM) processes. The work shown in the case study was developed in the Iron Age hillfort of San Vicente da Cha (Tras –os-Montes, Northern Portugal).
The aim of the project was the identification and 3D documentation of a series of structures in the surroundings of the hillfort that are thought to be related with ancient mining activities. The site is located within a dam, and is usually sunken. However, after a period of draught in the winter of 2011, a series of structures in bare rock were exposed that were in exceptional condition to be documented.
The poster presents the methodology and materials used for the documentation of those structures, together with an assessment of the quality of the results obtained and a cost-benefit balance.
The aim of the project was the identification and 3D documentation of a series of structures in the surroundings of the hillfort that are thought to be related with ancient mining activities. The site is located within a dam, and is usually sunken. However, after a period of draught in the winter of 2011, a series of structures in bare rock were exposed that were in exceptional condition to be documented.
The poster presents the methodology and materials used for the documentation of those structures, together with an assessment of the quality of the results obtained and a cost-benefit balance.
Research Interests:
One of the nine themes listed in Annex I of the INSPIRE Directive is “Protected Sites”. The Protected Sites Data Specification has been developed by the Thematic Working Group on Protected Sites, focusing mainly on natural protected... more
One of the nine themes listed in Annex I of the INSPIRE Directive is “Protected Sites”. The Protected Sites Data Specification has been developed by the Thematic Working Group on Protected Sites, focusing mainly on natural protected areas, connected to environmental data specifications under development in Annex III. What we present here is a Cultural Heritage Application Schema built as an interoperability framework for this particular kind of Protected Sites. It aims to offer a comprehensive support for heritage data publication via Spatial Data Infrastructures, trying to enable a complete management of all georeferenced Cultural Heritage data.
Research Interests:
Social developments within the Iberian Peninsula comprise different regional trends, that are better understood when considering both processes of social division and resistance. Some areas, like the Northwest, show a wider success of the... more
Social developments within the Iberian Peninsula comprise different regional trends, that are better understood when considering both processes of social division and resistance. Some areas, like the Northwest, show a wider success of the latter, well into the Iron Age. However, that area is one of those where settlement fortification firstly emerges. The paper will try to approach fortification as a “total social fact”, that can contribute to an analysis of the development of social complexity, in parallel to two complementary arguments: the oscillating social trends between change and resistance, and the tensions between domestic (familiar) units and settlement communities.
Research Interests:
Este póster muestra una síntesis gráfica de los resultados obtenidos en el estudio de relaciones entre redes de caminos, poblamiento y territorio, a partir de un diseño metodológico basado en el empleo de tecnologías SIG.
Research Interests:
La interpretación de la función y sentido de la fortificación de los asentamientos durante el conjunto de la Edad del Hierro europea ha sido tema de abundante debate en los últimos años. Las tendencias habituales oscilan en diferente... more
La interpretación de la función y sentido de la fortificación de los asentamientos durante el conjunto de la Edad del Hierro europea ha sido tema de abundante debate en los últimos años. Las tendencias habituales oscilan en diferente grado entre lo efectivamente defensivo y lo predominantemente monumental. Este póster resume un trabajo que trata de ofrecer argumentos respecto a esta cuestión, proponiendo un modelo basado en un aproximación a estos asentamientos a partir del análisis de sus decisiones locacionales. Para ello se ha desarrollado un procedimiento analítico en SIG que trata de establecer una correlación entre la distribución diferencial de las estructuras defensivas en un asentamiento y dos indicadores que permitirían objetivar el privilegio en las decisiones locacionales y constructivas de los sitios de los componentes defensivo (accesibilidad) o monumental (percepción visual). Se ilustra con los resultados del análisis de casos concretos en la Edad del Hierro del NW peninsular.