Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia
Highlights: • The research contributes to a better understanding of the forms of settlement in the ancient landscape of Alto de Toche, influenced by Cerro Machin Volcano disaster risk. • A terrain modelling reconstructed a geoarchaeological mountain landscape, composed of massive systems of terr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universitat Politècnica de València
2024-05-01
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| Series: | Virtual Archaeology Review |
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| Online Access: | https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/20145 |
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| author | César Augusto Velandia Daniel Ramírez Jhony Carvajal David Bejarano |
| author_facet | César Augusto Velandia Daniel Ramírez Jhony Carvajal David Bejarano |
| author_sort | César Augusto Velandia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Highlights:
• The research contributes to a better understanding of the forms of settlement in the ancient landscape of Alto de Toche, influenced by Cerro Machin Volcano disaster risk.
• A terrain modelling reconstructed a geoarchaeological mountain landscape, composed of massive systems of terraces at Alto de Toche Wax Palm cloud forest.
• From digital photogrammetry in fieldwork, three sites were detailed. A DEM of the settlement pattern projected 37 possible new terraces. The resulting map is accessible in an ArcGIS-online web application.
Abstract:
The enhancement of the archaeological terraces on the Alto de Toche and the Wax Palm forest is unprecedented. The Toche region in Colombia contains an outstanding anthropised ecosystems presence (8000 BP), characterised by complex inherited cultural patterns, according to the evidences on the eastern margin of the Andes Central Cordillera. The research focused on i) the cultural landscape of the Premontane and Montane Cloud Forests of the Alto de Toche, built by the Toches; ii) its high-altitude settlements, interpreted as a strategy of ecological knowledge, deeply linked to their symbolic understanding of the landscape. Fieldwork in three sets of tambos (terraces for habitational settlements) in La Carbonera, Gallego, and Las Cruces sites was analysed using remote sensing, drone digital photogrammetry, and on-site data. Their interpretation projected a settlement pattern; a typological-topological tambos classification inferred its possible functions such as sighting, funerary, and dwelling, from 2600 MASL to biggest sites at 3000 MASL, related to the sun-moon proximity presumed for gatherings. The authors conclude that the patterns respond to a territorial understanding of its resources and the vertical exploitation of the agricultural thermal floors and micro-watersheds, associated with the east-west solar illumination over both sides of the Tochecito River basin; linked with the transit between ridges and steep slopes, through the network of pathways that originated the Quindío Trail. Data were projected crossing field-data photogrammetry with GIS spatial analysis; this resulted in a terrain model that reconstructs a geoarchaeological landscape composed of massive systems of tambos. Thirty-seven new sites were classified, twenty of them above 2800 MASL. The resulting terrain model facilitates a non-invasive previous prospection for fieldwork planning and a more feasible knowledge of accessibility, due to on-site transit difficulties (steep slopes and very unstable soil due to cattle ranching). Finally, the terrain model was uploaded in an easy-to-access ArcGIS-online web application for sharing with community stakeholders and visiting scientists. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-637b9574f9a04b8eac7ac887dee2ee80 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1989-9947 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-05-01 |
| publisher | Universitat Politècnica de València |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virtual Archaeology Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-637b9574f9a04b8eac7ac887dee2ee802025-01-03T00:31:47ZengUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaVirtual Archaeology Review1989-99472024-05-011531375310.4995/var.2024.2014519338Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, ColombiaCésar Augusto Velandia0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0187-6488Daniel Ramírez1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6941-7777Jhony Carvajal2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4863-1042David Bejarano3Universidad Complutense de MadridUniversidad del TolimaUniversidad del TolimaUniversidad del TolimaHighlights: • The research contributes to a better understanding of the forms of settlement in the ancient landscape of Alto de Toche, influenced by Cerro Machin Volcano disaster risk. • A terrain modelling reconstructed a geoarchaeological mountain landscape, composed of massive systems of terraces at Alto de Toche Wax Palm cloud forest. • From digital photogrammetry in fieldwork, three sites were detailed. A DEM of the settlement pattern projected 37 possible new terraces. The resulting map is accessible in an ArcGIS-online web application. Abstract: The enhancement of the archaeological terraces on the Alto de Toche and the Wax Palm forest is unprecedented. The Toche region in Colombia contains an outstanding anthropised ecosystems presence (8000 BP), characterised by complex inherited cultural patterns, according to the evidences on the eastern margin of the Andes Central Cordillera. The research focused on i) the cultural landscape of the Premontane and Montane Cloud Forests of the Alto de Toche, built by the Toches; ii) its high-altitude settlements, interpreted as a strategy of ecological knowledge, deeply linked to their symbolic understanding of the landscape. Fieldwork in three sets of tambos (terraces for habitational settlements) in La Carbonera, Gallego, and Las Cruces sites was analysed using remote sensing, drone digital photogrammetry, and on-site data. Their interpretation projected a settlement pattern; a typological-topological tambos classification inferred its possible functions such as sighting, funerary, and dwelling, from 2600 MASL to biggest sites at 3000 MASL, related to the sun-moon proximity presumed for gatherings. The authors conclude that the patterns respond to a territorial understanding of its resources and the vertical exploitation of the agricultural thermal floors and micro-watersheds, associated with the east-west solar illumination over both sides of the Tochecito River basin; linked with the transit between ridges and steep slopes, through the network of pathways that originated the Quindío Trail. Data were projected crossing field-data photogrammetry with GIS spatial analysis; this resulted in a terrain model that reconstructs a geoarchaeological landscape composed of massive systems of tambos. Thirty-seven new sites were classified, twenty of them above 2800 MASL. The resulting terrain model facilitates a non-invasive previous prospection for fieldwork planning and a more feasible knowledge of accessibility, due to on-site transit difficulties (steep slopes and very unstable soil due to cattle ranching). Finally, the terrain model was uploaded in an easy-to-access ArcGIS-online web application for sharing with community stakeholders and visiting scientists.https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/20145landscape archaeologysymbolic archaeologygeoarchaeologygeographic information system (gis) web appterrain modelling |
| spellingShingle | César Augusto Velandia Daniel Ramírez Jhony Carvajal David Bejarano Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia Virtual Archaeology Review landscape archaeology symbolic archaeology geoarchaeology geographic information system (gis) web app terrain modelling |
| title | Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia |
| title_full | Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia |
| title_short | Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia |
| title_sort | modelling pre hispanic settlement patterns in alto de toche colombia |
| topic | landscape archaeology symbolic archaeology geoarchaeology geographic information system (gis) web app terrain modelling |
| url | https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/20145 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cesaraugustovelandia modellingprehispanicsettlementpatternsinaltodetochecolombia AT danielramirez modellingprehispanicsettlementpatternsinaltodetochecolombia AT jhonycarvajal modellingprehispanicsettlementpatternsinaltodetochecolombia AT davidbejarano modellingprehispanicsettlementpatternsinaltodetochecolombia |