HR: 0800h
AN: NS51C-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Geophysical and Rock Magnetic Survey of Archaeological Soils in the Urban and Ceremonial Center of La Campana in Western Mesoamerica
AU: * Lopez-Loera, H
EM: hlopz@ipicit.edu.mx
AF: Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2425, San Luis Potosi, 78210, Mexico
AU: Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J
EM: juf@geofisica.unam.mx
AF: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Geofisica, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacan, Mexico, 04510, Mexico
AB: Results of an integrated geophysical and rock magnetic study of archaeological soils from La Campana in western Mesoamerica are presented. La Campana is located in the northern suburbs of the city of Colima over a terrain characterized by volcanic debris avalanche deposits and palaeosols. Our study area of about 12,600 m2 is divided into two sections corresponding to the main archaeological site and to potential extensions north of it. We report results of soil magnetism on 6 vertical profiles in the archaeological excavations, and from a grid of surface sampling in the unexcavated northern area. In the main sector, excavations have uncovered three large structures made mainly of rounded volcanic boulders and built over large platforms. Geophysical anomalies and rock magnetic data provide information on landscape change and susceptibility enhancement in the archaeological soils. Archaeological remains extend over an area, considerably larger than that excavated in the archaeological survey, which is manifested in susceptibility enhancement in the top soils. The characteristics and size of the pyramidal structures, the plazas and channel network and the apparent overall extension of the archaeological site confirm that La Campana constituted a major urban and ceremonial center in westernmost Mesoamerica.
DE: 1503 Archeomagnetism
DE: 1512 Environmental magnetism
DE: 1517 Magnetic anomalies: modeling and interpretation
DE: 1519 Magnetic mineralogy and petrology
SC: Near-Surface Geophysics [NS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly