Mapping Ancient Structures and Demonstrating Integrated Archaeological Geophysics at Huacas de Moche, Peru

At the Huacas de Moche (HdM), one of the most prominent archaeological sites in Trujillo, Peru, the needs of an expanding modern community are in direct conflict with the desire to preserve the wealth of archaeological information. The undetermined extent of the HdM site introduces disputes in land usage where potential archaeological features are destroyed in pursuit of cultivatable land. This work presents the results of an integrated archaeo-geophysical and remote sensing investigation, which demonstrates the successful implementation of near-surface geophysical instruments for the detection of archaeological features around prior HdM archaeological investigations. The goals of this study are to (1) evaluate the overall effectiveness of various geophysics and drone-based sensing techniques at the HdM site, (2) interpret initial results at two test areas with and without active archaeological excavations, and (3) provide informed recommendations for future geophysical surveys across the broader HdM archaeological site and potentially other sites in the region. The methods deployed for this study include ground penetrating radar (GPR), frequency-domain electromagnetics (FDEM), magnetics, and drone-based photogrammetry. The resulting integrated geophysical analysis successfully reveals a broad collection of subsurface structures including features corresponding to walls, floors, and burials throughout these feature-rich survey areas. Follow-up excavations in a portion of the test bed, referred to as “Platform Uhle,” provide ground-truth confirmation of the presence of many features interpreted from GPR data. The orthomosaic maps and digital elevation models from drone-based photogrammetry surveys enable the delineation of subtle near-surface features, including shallow depressions within the ancient urban centre, in areas that are difficult to identify through ground-based observation alone. Lastly, the investigation results reveal that each deployed geophysical and remote sensing technique performed well given site conditions, which informs future acquisition for other geographically related archaeological sites.