Augmenting field data with archaeological imagery survey: mapping hilltop fortifications on the north coast of Peru

The north coast of Peru is among the most extensively surveyed regions in the world, yet variation in research questions, sampling strategies and chronological and geospatial controls among survey projects makes comparison of disparate datasets difficult. To contextualise these issues, the authors present a systematic survey of satellite imagery focusing on hilltop fortifications in the Jequetepeque and Santa Valleys. This digital recontextualisation of pedestrian survey data demonstrates the potential of hybrid methodologies to substantially expand both the identification of archaeological sites within difficult terrain and, consequently, our understanding of the function of defensive sites. Keywords: South America, Andes, Middle Horizon, Moche culture, satellite imagery survey, pedestrian survey, fortifications
Introduction Pedestrian surveys of the coastal valleys of northern Peru have painstakingly recorded archaeological traces of complex social relations through time (Willey 1953; Daggett 1987; Wilson 1988; Dillehay et al. [...]