Santo Domingo’s Hispanic convent, Panama. A new appraisal from 3D resistivity survey

Abstract

In 2012, a geophysical survey was conducted inside the open space of a Hispanic Dominican convent in Panama (Central America); its ruins form part of the Panama Viejo Historical Monument Complex, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003. The geophysical survey consisted of measuring the apparent electrical resistivity values along 24 parallel profiles inside the convent; the aim of this approach was focused on generating 3D electrical resistivity tomography in order to detect buried structures that could be associated with a possible cloister in this area of the convent. This dataset was inverted using a smooth inversion algorithm and shows important electrical anomalies on three horizontal maps at depths of 0.29, 0.90 and 1,60 m. The main electrical anomalies presented linear and isolated geometries that, in accordance with the archaeological excavations conducted at the site, are linked to a series of buried cultural features associated with the convent’s cloister, such as perimeter walls, pillar footings and bases made of stone as supports for the gallery of a second floor. This study was also able to identify other archaeological features that could be linked to the initial stages of the construction of this important building.