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Electrical resistivity tomography and magnetometry surveying of a ~500-1532 CE Manteño culture archeological site close to Puerto Lopez, Ecuador
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  • Elisa Piispa,
  • Joseline Chica,
  • Leandra Luna,
  • Jhuliana Monar,
  • Marissa Saltos,
  • Andrés Garzón-Oechsle,
  • Colin Waldron,
  • Valentina Martinez,
  • Celine Mandon
Elisa Piispa
University of Iceland

Corresponding Author:ejpiispa@mtu.edu

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Joseline Chica
Yachay Tech University
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Leandra Luna
Yachay Tech University
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Jhuliana Monar
Yachay Tech University
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Marissa Saltos
Yachay Tech University
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Andrés Garzón-Oechsle
Florida Atlantic University
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Colin Waldron
Florida Atlantic University
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Valentina Martinez
Florida Atlantic University
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Celine Mandon
Yachay Tech University
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Abstract

Geophysical methods are very useful in archeological prospection by providing an inexpensive, non-invasive view of the subsurface, and, helping the archeologists to better target their excavation efforts. Ecuador’s past is very rich, with many archeological sites still unexplored. Manteño culture prevailed in the province of Manabí in a series of large coastal towns and along the river valleys and ridges of the Chongón-Colonche coastal mountains of what is now Ecuador from around 500 CE to 1532 CE. They were one of the last prehistoric cultures and the Inca Empire never conquered them directly, which meant their culture developed independently. Thousands of carefully arranged stone foundation have been documented across the abrupt landscape that has been intentionally modified for large scale agriculture. In this work, we present the results of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and magnetometry surveys at the Río Blanco archeological area close to the coastal city of Puerto Lopez. The area includes one of the largest unexcavated archeological remains known in Ecuador. It consists of alluvial terraces modified by the Manteño people scattered with numerous ruins. The archeological structures are often delimited by buried rock blocks that sometimes outcrop in the surface. We made 2 ½ D ERT with dipole-dipole array configuration and ground magnetometry surveys at three locations which were identified earlier by archeologists as buried buildings, with one of them being previously partially excavated. The measurement grid for each structure was designed according to their size. For magnetometry, a base station measurement was taken after finishing each survey line in order to be able to remove diurnal variations from the magnetometry readings. All tested structures showed internal variations within them related to differences in electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility. According to our preliminary interpretation, some of these anomalies are from the wall rocks and some suggest the presence of buried objects as well as potential locations of fireplaces. The locations of the buried objects are intended to be later verified by archeological excavation.