North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Escondido Pueblo
Reference: Ernenwein, Eileen G. and Kenneth L. Kvamme (In progress). Ground Penetrating Radar at the Landscape Scale: New Challenges and Possible Solutions. To be presented at the Archaeological Sciences in the Americas Conference,Tucson, 2004.
This research project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a suite of non-invasive remote sensing methods combined with new analytical tools to allow recovery of detailed information about subsurface archaeological content. Such an approach can significantly reduce costs and the large investments of time and labor associated with traditional archaeological surveys and excavations. The project mixes high-resolution ground-based geophysical (magnetometry, conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, ground penetrating radar), aerial (thermal, panchromatic, multi-spectral), and space-based (panchromatic, multi-spectral) sensor data. GIS-based data fusion methods that associate contextual with multiple-layer statistical patterns enhance results by enabling superior visualization of the complex, high-dimensional data sets. In order to assess capabilities under variable conditions a range of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in a variety of environments from throughout the country will ultimately be examined. Remotely sensed data will be acquired at DoD installations at Fort Bliss (Texas), Fort Benning (Georgia, Alabama), and Fort Riley (Kansas), and at the DoE Savannah River Site (Georgia). Existing site data from two additional locations, Whistling Elk (South Dakota), and Mt. Comfort (Arkansas), will complement information obtained at these sites.
These results were obtained in the Fall of 2003 at Escondido Pueblo located on the present day location of south central New Mexico. Escondido pueblo is located within the reaches of the prehsitoric populations of the Jornada Mogollon in the southwest. Although the Jornada Mogollon in the area can be traced back to A.D. 400 to 800 living is small pithouse villages, the distinctive rectangular adobe brick multi-room living compunds apparent in the geophysical data did not appear until around A.D 1200. At this time the Jornada Mogollon were an agricultual community relying on dry land farming and runoff diversion. Artifacts, including styalized ceramics and shell ornaments, indicate the extensive trading network available. by the late 15th century the Jornada Mogollon pueblos were abandoned.
The combination of geophysical instruments employed creates a picture of these prehistoric room blocks while revealing other features associated with the late Jornada Mogollon or possibly earlier settlements of the site. An area 100 x 120 meters was selected for archaegeophysics and up to twenty-five 20 x 20 meter grids were done with in that area. Magnetometry, conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, ground penetrating radar were the groundbased geophysical methods used. The magnetrometery data shows a rectangular structure in the far west of the image. A clear division within the block is visible indicating that the structure had burned. Magnetic susceptibility shows larger recta-linear trends which possibly represent garden plots. GPR data outlines the pueblo room blocks clearly and may indicate which floors were plastered. The conductivity data shows more circular or arced anomalies that sometimes correspond to the room blocks found with the other instruments. They could possibly represent older pithouse structures. Further geophysical surveys as well as archaeological testing will be performed in the fall of 2004 to decisively answer these questions.