EXPLORING FORMATIVE PERIOD RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES AT PUERTO ESCONDIDO, HONDURAS USING GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR AND MAGNETOMETERY

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry data were collected at the archaeological site of Puerto Escondido (CR-372) in May 2007. Puerto Escondido, located in the Lower Ulúa Valley of Honduras, is one of the earliest village sites in Mesoamerica, with continuous occupation dating from the Early Formative to the Terminal Classic Periods (ca. 1600 B.C. – A.D. 1000). The goals of these geophysical surveys were (1) to determine the spatial extent of archaeological features partially excavated (and subsequently backfilled), including a steam bath, several kilns, and a chief's residence (2) to define geophysical signatures for these features in an effort to locate similar features in unexcavated areas, and (3) to provide a detailed image of the subsurface prior to further development (and destruction) of the site. Magnetometry data, collected using a Geometrics G-858 magnetometer, are quite promising, with distinct signatures visible in areas of known archaeological features. Several large circular features that appear in unexcavated areas of the site might delineate additional buried structures. GPR data were acquired using a GSSI SIR-3000, with 400 MHz antennae. Penetration of the GPR signal was limited to a depth of about 0.5 meters, and the features visible in profile view are not very distinct from the surrounding matrix. In plan view, the GPR data are more conclusive, with numerous potential features (and possible structures) visible. The lack of penetration is most likely due to an abundance of clay that was noted during archaeological excavations at the site. These geophysical data, combined with archaeological materials recovered during previous field seasons, are being used to examine the Formative Period use of space at the site, specifically with regard to the placement of features adjacent to the chief's house.