Reconstructing landscape at Chavín de Huántar, Perú: A GIS-based approach

The landscape around the prehistoric Peruvian ceremonial center of Chavín de Huántar has undergone extensive geomorphic and anthropogenic change since the beginning of monumental construction at the site in approximately 1200 BCE. Archaeological and geomorphic stratigraphy from the site and its near periphery provide the data necessary to characterize these changes in detail. This paper reports on the use of GIS-based interpolation tools to approximate a complex prehistoric land surface using unevenly scattered point data. Such an interpolated surface serves as the basis for the reconstruction of the pre-Chavín landscape and assessment of landscape change contemporary with the site.