Abstract
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys provide distinct advantages for archaeological prospection in ancient, complex, urban Maya sites, particularly where dense foliage or modern debris may preclude other remote sensing or geophysical techniques. Unidirectional GPR surveys using a 500 MHz shielded antenna were performed at the Middle Preclassic Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize. The survey in 2012 identified numerous linear and circular anomalies between 1 m and 2 m deep. Based on these anomalies, one 1 m × 4 m unit and three smaller units were excavated in 2013. These test units revealed a curved plaster surface not previously found at Pacbitun. Post-excavation, GPR data were reprocessed to best match the true nature of excavated features. Additional GPR surveys oriented perpendicular to the original survey confirmed previously detected anomalies and identified new anomalies. The excavations provided information on the sediment layers in the survey area, which allowed better identification of weak radar reflections of the surfaces of a burnt, Middle Preclassic temple in the northern end of the survey area. Additional excavations of the area in 2014 and 2015 revealed it to be a large square structure, which was named El Quemado.
Highlights
In this study, we present the implementation of ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys and magnetometer surveys at the Maya archaeological site of Pacbitun, Belize
The 1 m by 4 m trench determined most likely to contain Middle Preclassic features started the excavation of the buried structure El Quemado
The same events over 2400 years ago that preserved Q, namely the building of task units and filling the plaza with sloping layers of marl/clay, made it much more difficult to identify it in the radar profiles
Summary
We present the implementation of ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys and magnetometer surveys at the Maya archaeological site of Pacbitun, Belize. Data acquisition was performed in two stages: in December 2012 and in May 2014. The goal of the December 2012 survey was to determine where excavations would be most likely to uncover buried structures in the following field season(s). The objective of May 2014 was to add more GPR data through new perpendicular profiles in the previously surveyed area and to correct the preliminary interpretation of the 2012 radar amplitude maps using the excavation results. The interpretation of the radar reflections changed due to excavation results, while at the same time the GPR survey changed the direction of the project. Archaeological geophysical prospection and remote sensing are becoming more common place as preliminary steps in site discovery and excavation pre-planning in many regions; yet only remote sensing with LiDAR and satellite imagery is being widely adopted in Maya archaeological
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