A field experience of documentation and analysis through 3D mapping and surface survey in the Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

Abstract This paper presents an experience developed in the Hualfin Valley (Catamarca, Argentina), aimed at testing the utility and suitability of non-invasive methods for documenting and analyzing sites of inconspicuous nature. The documentation of architectural remains and of archaeological materials with reference to them has been common fieldwork practice in this region. However, this produces a partial documentation of the sites and poses important problems to characterize sites without obvious visible architectural remains. Through a combination of remote sensing (satellite imagery, terrestrial and UAV-based photogrammetry) GIS analysis and field survey, two sites in the area were documented in detail with a cost-effective procedure that has allowed us to produce a more refined interpretation of them and their archaeological contexts. Considering the simplicity of the methods and the tools involved, we suggest that this methodology can inspire future work in this and similar regions.