Application of Planimetric Models of Satellite Imagery to Study Pre‐Hispanic Water Management Systems in the Southern Puna, Argentina
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12430249 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Victoria Arévalo (0000-0002-8310-9460, Instituto Regional de Estudios Socioculturales (CONICET‐UNCA) San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca Catamarca Argentina), Lorena Grana (0000-0001-8016-4766, Instituto de Datación y Arqueometría (CONICET‐UNJu)‐ Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias (UNJu) Palpalá Jujuy Argentina, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 149-160 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeological Prospection (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1075-2196 • E-ISSN: 1099-0763 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/arp.70010 |
| OpenAlex | W7085223266 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
Studying pre‐Hispanic agricultural landscapes requires large‐scale spatial analysis and detailed slope assessment to understand water management systems. Remote sensing and photo‐interpretation techniques are effective for investigating historical irrigation structures. This research developed a high‐precision planimetric model by integrating satellite imagery, digital elevation models (DEMs), slope analysis and hillshade visualisation. It focused on the pre‐Hispanic agricultural site in the lower Miriguaca Basin (Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina), specifically Red Miriguaca 1 (RM1). Four methodological approaches were applied: (1) acquisition and processing of free satellite images and DEMs using QGIS; (2) generation of planimetric data, with integration of ground control points to enhance accuracy; (3) visual interpretation of hydraulic structures in the planimetric model; and (4) cross‐checking diverse data (archaeological GPS control points and pre‐existing hydraulic model) to corroborate hydraulic mapping. The model allowed identification of new sections of the main canal, secondary canals and the water intake point at RM1, clarifying the topography‐driven hydraulic design. It also revealed connections between RM1 and other irrigation networks previously considered independent. This approach provides a cost‐effective tool for reconstructing ancient water management in arid regions, with potential applications in similar archaeological contexts
Aerial imagery · Aerial photography · Arid · Digital elevation model · Geographic information system · Global Positioning System · Satellite · Satellite imagery · Structural basin · Clay minerals and soil interactions · Iron oxide chemistry and applications · Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology
Paleohydrological Changes in Highland Desert Rivers and Human Occupation, 7000‐3000 Cal. Yr B.P., South‐Central Andes, Argentina
Coctaca
Ground to air and back again
Prehistoric landscape management in the Andean highlands
El manejo del agua en la cuenca inferior de Miriguaca (Antofagasta de la Sierra)
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |