Even if in the last decades the use of remote sensing technologies (from satellite, aerial and ground) for archaeology is stepping in its golden age, in Southern America, the geophysics for preventive archaeology is more recent and less used compared to Europe, Central America, and Middle East. . In this paper, we provide a brief overview, and show the preliminary results obtained from the investigations conducted in Chachabamba (Peru). The archaeological area is located on a strategic terrace overlooking three Inca roads, which served the most important ceremonial centres (including Machu Picchu) of the Urubamba Valley also known as the Sacred Valley. In particular, Chachabamba investigations were conducted with two principal aims : 1) to give new impetus to archaeological research with targeted investigations aimed at improving and completing the site's knowledge framework; 2) to experiment and validate an archeogeophysical approach to be re-applied in other sites of the Urubamba valley, including Machu Picchu, having similar characteristics as those found in Chachabamba.
Response to Reviewers:We thank the Guest Editor for the valuable suggestions and corrections which have been addressed contributing to the improvement of the paper
According to the classical chronology of the Inca State, the ascension to power of Pachacuti Inca took place around AD 1438 and the construction of Machu Picchu began by AD 1450–1460. However, the improvement in the accuracy of radiocarbon (14C) dating resulting from the application of Bayesian analysis has changed our view of the historical chronology. This new research raises questions about our understanding of the cultural development of the Machu Picchu area, in the light of the new proposed chronological scheme. This paper presents a set of 11 new 14C dates, derived from AMS, from the sites of Llaqta of Machu Picchu, Chachabamba, and Choqesuysuy. The latter two sites are situated within the Machu Picchu National Archaeological Park (Arqueología del Santuario Histórico Nacional y Sitio Patrimonio Mundial de Machu Picchu) and have been interpreted as being part of the contemporary Late Horizon Inca landscape. The new 14C ages are modeled using Bayesian inference and present a revised dating framework for these sites and their chronological relationship with Llaqta of Machu Picchu.
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