Remote sensing detection of potential sites in a prehispanic domestic agricultural terrace system in cerro San Lucas, Teotihuacan, Mexico

Resumen

Domestic agricultural
terrace systems located in the basin of Mexico were the basis of
prehispanic economic specialization and also the most widespread
form of intensive cultivation in piedmont areas. This paper focuses
on the remote sensing detection and field testing of potential
scenarios to recover evidence of these prehispanic features. The
testing area of this article is located in the piedmont of cerro San
Lucas, Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. The site was selected after
consulting historical and archaeological documents, followed by
aerial prospection. In addition, the interpretation of aerial
digital images and the application of specific software for
automated image analyses provided a unique set of tools for
generating spatial predictions about the prehispanic household
distribution at cerro San Lucas. During terrestrial surveys we
corroborated that the detection quality of predicted archaeological
sites by means of photointerpretation and automated image analyses
was acceptable, but insufficient to locate archaeological sites. The
field reconnaissance was followed by a program of geophysical survey
combining three different methods: magnetic gradient,
ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity. Based on the
geophysical data results one sample site was excavated mainly to
test the evidence previously collected. The cumulative results were
invaluable in order to obtain: (1) a remote localization of some
potential domestic agricultural spaces, (2) the field identification
of a Late Postclassic aztec household unit (1490 B.P.), (3) relevant
information about the ecological and archaeological context and (4)
a basis for an accurate site selection conducive to extensive
excavation.