Inter-visibility between settlements in pre-Hispanic Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The relation between hierarchy and control of distant communications

Abstract

The pre-Hispanic Tairona society of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in northern Colombia, adapted to their natural surroundings for the development of their culture, economy and architecture. The mountainous environment determined the location and shape of their settlements and roads, the use of construction materials and the way to adapt to the terrain. The location of these ancient villages coincides with the proximity to freshwater sources and usually takes advantage of ridges between watersheds or river basins, for possible strategic reasons of communication and defence. This research is based on computational experiments and fieldwork to explore the relationship that can be interpreted between the hierarchy of individual sites and their privileged position in the territory. Through viewshed analysis, multiple points were taken on the ground to assess the visual domain of some villages over others and the surrounding landscape.