Coastal Survey of the Virú Valley: Advancing Archaeological Research through Digital Recording and Thermal Imaging

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Virú Valley is significant in archaeological history for being the place for the first systematic regional survey and settlement pattern study in the 1940s. Although archaeological investigations in the Virú Valley have remained relatively quiet since then, recent works in the sierra and middle valley areas have begun to change this situation. This study addresses another interesting area, the coast of the Virú Valley, and illustrates two key objectives of the 2024 field season: (1) to identify traces of early human habitation and activity between 3,000 and approximately 5,000 B.P., and (2) to retrieve and record archaeological information through digital approaches.

The work included a pedestrian survey and surface data collection at specific archaeological sites. This research was facilitated by the establishment of an online database and the use of satellite imagery, which allowed for efficient survey execution. Moreover, by leveraging the unique environmental characteristics of the coastal desert, thermal imaging techniques were employed to non-invasively detect and identify potential architectural structures at early sites. These innovative approaches not only provide new insights into the prehistoric occupation and activity patterns in the Virú Valley's coastal region but also contribute to advancing the digital era of archaeological survey.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53032