Comparing Ancient and Modern Residential Structures in Peru?s Casma Valley Using ArcGIS
Mentor 1
David Pacifico
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
This project examines the differences and similarities between modern structures and ancient residential structures in the Casma Valley of Peru with respect to room area, overall structure area, and morphology. These comparisons help us identify and interpret the changes in living conditions, household wealth, and perhaps family structure and status over time. This comparative project contributes to the Casma Hinterland Archaeological Project, which examines the long-term environmental and social impact of urbanization in the late pre-Hispanic period.The Casma State was active in Peru during the Late Intermediate Period (CE 700-1400) and was a highly urbanized, coastal, pre-Hispanic civilization. Casma State settlements typically placed administrative and elite structures at the base of the Andean foothills above the irrigable river valleys, while commoner residential structures terraced up into the mountain flanks at the valley margins, like today’s favelas in Brazil. Commoner residences take a number of forms defined by the Casma Hinterland Archaeological Project, forms that correspond to family structure, status, and specific functions. These ancient structures are visible as subtle changes in the color and texture of satellite images of the valley. Adjacent modern structures are easily visible in satellite imagery. When observed in the satellite images, modern and ancient structures are digitized using ArcGIS Online, a web-based Geographic Information System. Once digitized, modern and ancient structures can be categorized, their areas can be calculated, and they can be compared before the results are ground-truthed in the field. These remote data and analyses streamline subsequent fieldwork and constitute a digital record of remains that are threatened by new building projects, agricultural activities, mining, and environmental factors. [Key words: household archaeology, Pre-Columbian archaeology, architecture, statistical analysis, spatial analysis, Casma State, Late Intermediate Period, Pre-Columbian Peru, urbanization, ArcGIS]
Comparing Ancient and Modern Residential Structures in Peru?s Casma Valley Using ArcGIS
Union Wisconsin Room
This project examines the differences and similarities between modern structures and ancient residential structures in the Casma Valley of Peru with respect to room area, overall structure area, and morphology. These comparisons help us identify and interpret the changes in living conditions, household wealth, and perhaps family structure and status over time. This comparative project contributes to the Casma Hinterland Archaeological Project, which examines the long-term environmental and social impact of urbanization in the late pre-Hispanic period.The Casma State was active in Peru during the Late Intermediate Period (CE 700-1400) and was a highly urbanized, coastal, pre-Hispanic civilization. Casma State settlements typically placed administrative and elite structures at the base of the Andean foothills above the irrigable river valleys, while commoner residential structures terraced up into the mountain flanks at the valley margins, like today’s favelas in Brazil. Commoner residences take a number of forms defined by the Casma Hinterland Archaeological Project, forms that correspond to family structure, status, and specific functions. These ancient structures are visible as subtle changes in the color and texture of satellite images of the valley. Adjacent modern structures are easily visible in satellite imagery. When observed in the satellite images, modern and ancient structures are digitized using ArcGIS Online, a web-based Geographic Information System. Once digitized, modern and ancient structures can be categorized, their areas can be calculated, and they can be compared before the results are ground-truthed in the field. These remote data and analyses streamline subsequent fieldwork and constitute a digital record of remains that are threatened by new building projects, agricultural activities, mining, and environmental factors. [Key words: household archaeology, Pre-Columbian archaeology, architecture, statistical analysis, spatial analysis, Casma State, Late Intermediate Period, Pre-Columbian Peru, urbanization, ArcGIS]
