Electromagnetic Induction Survey at Matacanela to Detect Off-Mound Structures and Landscape Features

Summary

Approximately 2.28 ha of Matacanela were surveyed using an electromagnetic induction meter to measure near-surface variations in magnetic susceptibility and/or conductivity. Eight distinct areas were selected for survey deemed most likely to reveal Late Classic or Postclassic occupation or landscape features based on topographical features, LiDAR imagery, and surface finds. The primary areas of interest were off-mound and plaza areas containing domestic or non-elite contexts. The largest contiguous survey block, measuring 1.1 ha, encompasses two U-shaped plazas with intervening low mounds. Despite some limitations in data collection due to field crops, survey results indicate several subsurface anomalies that can be tested in the second field season or further explored with more detailed or alternate prospection techniques, including ground penetrating radar.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• The Matacanela Archaeological Project 2014

Keywords

Spatial Coverage