Itaca

Project direction: IBAM – CNR – ITACA (Italian scientific mission for heritage Conservation and Archaeogeophysics) 

Field director: Nicola Masini (CNR – IBAM)

Participating bodies: CNR – IBAM Maria Danese, Giacomo Di Giacomo, Fabrizio T. Gizzi, Maurizio Lazzari, Giovanni Leucci, Nicola Masini, Lighea Pappalardo, Raffaele Persico, Giovanni Quarta, Paolo Romano, Maria Sileo); CNR – IMAA (Rosa Lasaponara, Enzo Rizzo, Luigi Capozzoli); INFN; Museo du Tumbas reale del Sipan, Mision CONCYTEC. 

Site location: From 2007 to 2011 the following sites were investigated: the Cerimonial centre of Cahuachi, the geoglyphs of Atarco, Rio Nazca, the Ceremonial centre of Tiwanaku, Arenal, Collud, Zarpan, Ucupe, Huantar.

Date of activity: From 2007 onwards.

Brief description: 

Cahuachi: Discovery of a settlement buried in the bed of the river Nazca using satellite remote sensing, geo-magnetic survey and aerial infrared thermography; geophysical work in support of excavations of a ritual offering in the Naranjada Pyramid; the identification of anomalies using georadar and geomagnetic methodologies in the Temple of Escalonado and subsequent discovery of a 4^th century B.C. altar; multi-temporal analyses of illegal excavations; first map of the geoglyphs of Atarco; digital model of Cahuachi.

Ventarron: Discovery of a Moche temple on the site of Arenal (Ventarron) using georadar.

Twinaku: Creation of a metric grade map of several areas situated between Kantatallita and Acapanna.

Nazca: Creation of a method of satellite data processing for identifying areas and the identification of two puquios; first results of the classification of the Nazca pottery.

Site typology and date: Pre-Columbian

Student participants: Yes