Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Following the Ancient Nasca Puquios from Space

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Satellite Remote Sensing

Part of the book series: Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing ((RDIP,volume 16))

Abstract

Precious information to reconstruct ancient environmental changes, still fossilized in the present landscape, may be captured from multispectral satellite images from medium to high spatial resolution. In particular, satellite derived moisture content may facilitate the identification of areas involved in early environmental manipulation mainly addressed to set up irrigation and artificial wet agro-ecosystems where the natural rainfall was insufficient to support agriculture. Up to now, only a few number of archaeological studies on spatial patterns of moisture have been carried out through the world using satellite optical data. In this chapter, Landsat and ASTER data were analyzed for some areas near Nasca river within the drainage basin of the Rio Grande, densely settled over the centuries and millennia even if the physical environment presented serious obstacles to human occupation. This region is one of the most arid areas of the world, so that the pluvial precipitations are so scarce that they can not be measured. To face this critical and extreme environmental conditions, ancient populations of the Nasca River valley, devised an underground aqueducts called puquios, some of which are still used today. Archaeologists suggest that during the Nasca flourishing period, certainly the number and spatial distribution of puquios was larger than today. We used satellite data to identify areas to be further investigated to assess if and where therein puquios were constructed for water control and retrieval.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams REW, Jones RC (1981) Spatial patterns and regional growth among classic Maya cities. Am Antiquity 46(2):301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown CT, Witschey WRT (2003) The fractal geometry of ancient Maya settlement. J Archaeol Sci 30:1619–1632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccato P, Flasse S, Tarantola S, Jacquemoud S, Gregoire JM (2001) Detecting vegetation leaf water content using reflectance in the optical domain. Remote Sens Environ 77(1):22–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccato P, Flasse S, Gregoire J-M (2002a) Designing a spectral index to estimate vegetation water content from remote sensing data: Part 2: validation and applications. Remote Sens Environ 82(2–3):198–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceccato P, Gobron N, Flasse S, Pinty B, Tarantola S (2002b) Designing a spectral index to estimate vegetation water content from remote sensing data: Part 1: theoretical approach. Remote Sens Environ 82(2–3):188–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen CM, Hepner GF, Forster RR (2003) Fusion of hyperspectral and radar data using the IHS transformation to enhance urban surface features. J Photogramm Remote Sens 58:19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond J (2009) Maya, Khmer and Inca. Nature 461:479–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond J (2010) Two view of Collapse. Nature 463:880–881

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillehay TD, Eling HH, Rossen J (2005) Preceramic irrigation canals in the Peruvian Andes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102(47):17241–17244. doi:10.1073/pnas.0508583102, 2005 November 22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folan WJ, Faust B, Lutz W, Gunn JD (2000) Social and environmental factors in the classic Maya collapse. In: Lutz W, Prieto L, Sanderson W (eds) Population, development, and environment on the Yucatan Peninsula: from ancient Maya to 2030. Research report RR-00–14, IIASA, Laxenburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Fourty T, Baret F (1998) On spectral estimates of fresh leaf biochemistry. Int J Remote Sens 19(7):1283–1297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez Garcia MF (1934) Los acueductos incaicos de Nazca. Aguas e Irrigación 2(2):207–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson TJ, Chen D, Cosh M et al (2004) Vegetation water content mapping using Landsat data derived normalized difference water index for corn and soybean. Remote Sens Environ 92:475–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauth RJ, Thomas GS (1976) The Tasseled Cap – a graphical description of the spectral-temporal development of agricultural crops as seen by Landsat. In: Proceedings of the symposium on machine processing of remotely sensed data, Purdue University, West Lafayette, pp 4B41–4B51

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobori I (1960) Human geography of methods of irrigation in the Central Andes. In: Andesu, Andes, the report of the University of Tokyo scientific expedition to the Andes in 1958, Bijitsu Shuppan sha, Tokyo, pp 74–97, 417–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroeber A, Collier D (1998) The archaeology and pottery of Nazca, Peru: Alfred L. Kroeber’s 1926 expedition. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancho Rojas J (1986) Descripción y problemas de mantenimiento y rehabilitación de los acueductos de Nasca. Informe entregado al CONCYTEC (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mejia Xesspe T (1942) Acueductos y Caminos Antiguos de la Hoya del Río Grande de Nasca. In: Actas y Trabajos científicos del XXVII Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Lima. Librería e Imprenta GIL, Lima, vol 1, pp 559–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Orefici G, Drusini A (2003) Nasca: hipótesis y evidencias de su desarrollo cultural. Documentos e Investigaciones 2. Ediciones CISRAP, Brescia

    Google Scholar 

  • Peñuelas J, Inoue Y (1999) Reflectance indices indicative of changes in water and pigment contents of peanut and weat leaves. Photosynthetica 36(3):355–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peñuelas J, Filella I, Biel C, Serrano L, Savé R (1993) The reflectance at the 950–970 nm region as an indicator of plant water status. Int J Remote Sens 14(10):1887–1905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragab R (1995) Towards a continuous operational system to estimate the root-zone soil moisture from intermittent remotely sensed surface moisture. J Hydrol 173:1–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ripple WJ (1986) Spectral reflectance relationships to leaf water stress. Photogramm Eng Rem S 52(10):1669–1675

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts DA, Green RO, Adams JB (1997) Temporal and spatial patterns in vegetation and atmospheric properties form AVIRIS. Remote Sens Environ 62:223–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers AS, Kearney MS (2004) Reducing signature variability in unmixing coastal marsh Thematic Mapper scenes using spectral indices. Int J Remote Sens 25(12): 2317–2335

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouse JW, Haas RH, Schell JA, Deering DW (1973) Monitoring vegetation systems in the Great Plains with ERTS. In: Third ERTS symposium, vol I, NASA SP-351, pp 309–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber KH (1995) The puquios of Nasca. Latin Am Antiquity 6(3):229–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber KH (2003) Irrigation and society in the Peruvian Desert: the puquios of Nasca. Lexington Books, Lanham

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber KH, Lancho Rojas J (1988) Los puquios de Nasca: un sistema de galerías filtrantes. Boletín de Lima 59:51–62, Editorial Los Pinos, Lima

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber KH, Lancho Rojas J (2009) El control del agua y los puquios de Nasca. In: Nasca. El desierto del los Dioses de Cahuachi. Graph, Lima, pp 132–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Solar La Cruz F (1997) Nasca filtering galleries; galerías filtrantes. Universidad Abraham Valdelomar, Lima

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker CJ (1979) Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation. Remote Sens Environ 8:127–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker CJ (1980) Remote sensing of leaf water content in the near infrared. Remote Sens Environ 10:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ustin SL, Roberts DA, Jacquemoud S, Pinzon J, Gardner M, Scheer GJ, Castaneda CM, Palacios A (1998) Estimating canopy water content of chaparral shrubs using optical methods. Remote Sens Environ 65:280–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn S, Crawford T (2009) A predictive model of archaeological potential: an example from northwestern Belize. Appl Geogr 29(4):542–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veni G (1990) Maya utilization of karst groundwater resources. Environ Geol 16(1):63–66. doi:10.1007/BF01702224

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker JP, Willgoose GR, Kalma JD (2001) One-dimensional soil moisture profile retrieval by assimilation of near-surface observations: a comparison of retrieval algorithms. Adv Water Res 24:631–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu GR, Miwa T, Nakayama K, Matsuoka N, Kon H (2000) A proposal for universal formulas for estimating leaf water status of herbaceous and woody plants based on spectral reflectance properties. Plant Soil 227(1–2):47–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zarco-Tejada PJ, Rueda CA, Ustin SL (2003) Water content estimation in vegetation with MODIS reflectance data and model inversion methods. Remote Sens Environ 85:109–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, CNR-IMAA, C. da S. Loya, 85100, Tito Scalo, PZ, Italy

    Rosa Lasaponara

  2. Institute of Archaeological and Architectural Heritage, CNR-IBAM, C. da S. Loya, 85050, Tito Scalo, PZ, Italy

    Nicola Masini

Authors
  1. Rosa Lasaponara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicola Masini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola Masini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Methodologies for Environme, CNR-IMAA, C. da S. Loya, Tito Scalo, 85100, Potenza, Italy

    Rosa Lasaponara

  2. Institute of Archaeological and Architec, CNR-IBAM, C. da S. Loya, Tito Scalo, 85050, Potenza, Italy

    Nicola Masini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lasaponara, R., Masini, N. (2012). Following the Ancient Nasca Puquios from Space. In: Lasaponara, R., Masini, N. (eds) Satellite Remote Sensing. Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8801-7_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation