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GPR mapping to reconstruct a Late Classic Period Compound Wall, Chichen Itza, Mexico
by Lawrence Conyers and Denisse Argote | Integrating a lidar relief map with GPR subsurface mapping, accompanied by locating known and inferred surface structures allowed for the reconstruction of a Late Classic Period walled compound. It was found that this enclosure is not perfectly rectangular, was partially dismanteled in the past, added on to in some places, and in some areas almost completely destroyed during the construction evolution of this city. The compound contained the Casa Colorada as its predominant temple within its walls, but also other structures of unknown function. In Post Classic time the compound walls were used…
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There Is A Coming Crisis In Peer Reviewed Publications In Our Field
There is a coming crisis with peer reviewed publications in our field. The symptoms have been apparent for about 6 or 7 years and are now becoming obvious. Those of us who came from the academic realm have always relied on well-established publications to “show our worth” and achievements necessary for promotion and tenure decisions. The number of articles that one published, total pages, and the “impact factors” of the journals are usually all taken into account to measure an individual researcher’s achievements, as well as that of an academic department and in some cases a university as a whole.…
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GPR at Laetoli, Tanzania: Micro GPR for mapping hominid footprints
Very high frequency ground-penetrating radar (GPR) reflection data were collected and processed at Laetoli Site S, to connect an ancient hominid pathway that was uncovered in two excavations conducted in 2016. These footprints have been dated to about 3.6 million years ago and are likely those of Australopithecus afarensis. Profiles were collected 5 cm apart were frequency filtered to enhance specific wave frequencies of interest, and then manually interpreted using 2-D profile analysis. The depth to the prints was digitized and three-dimensional maps were produced, which display the still-buried prints between excavations. Artificial intelligence was used to compare models of…
