Geophysical survey in tropical forest
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2020-10-03

This paper aims at presenting results of geophysical survey carried out at the Maya centre of Nakum located in northeastern Guatemala. Between 2012 and 2016 several different geophys-ical surveys were conducted. They involved such methods as electrical resistivity (with the use of different probe systems) and application of ground penetrating radar. Surveys were carried out both on vast plazas as well as on top of platforms and pyramidal structures. They showed various anomalies some of which were verified archaeologically, bringing the discovery of sev-eral  underground  features.  In  our  paper  we  would  like  to  show  both  advantages,  as  well  as  shortcomings for archeological use of geophysical methods in the tropical jungle.


Piotr Wojciech Szczepanik, Patrycja Obrempalska-Majdak, Jarosław Źrałka, Wiesław Koszkul