An Unexplored Realm in the Heartland of the Southern Gulf ... - Famsi

mercuric sulfide in the soil. Therefore, through an elemental analysis of soils, it may be
possible to detect traces of different activities.
Phosphate compounds and metallic ions are fixed quickly and remain stable in
soils for extended lengths of time (Ball and Kelsey 1992; Johnston and 75:371-381.;
Wells 2004a; Wells et al. 2000:450). At El Marquesillo, anthropogenic soil surveys were
conducted in two plazas to prospect for evidence of various types of activities. The
specimens were examined through a weak acid-extraction ICP–OES analysis performed
to obtain multi-elemental composition of anthropogenic soils from the plazas.
Pedogenesis is the process of soil formation, and of interest here are those soils
that have been subjected to human cultural activities. Geoarchaeological researchers have
made significant progress in archaeological applications of soil science over the past 50
years (Holliday and Gartner 2007; Middleton 2004:47-48). Initially, soil chemistry was
used as a prospection tool to identify archaeological sites and later to clarify their
formation processes (Arrhenius 1963; Bidwell and Hole 1965; McDowell 1988; Woods
1977). Advanced computerized technologies have facilitated the development of multi-
elemental characterizations of soils, and expanded their applications to the examination
of settlement organization and activity patterns at multiple scales. Projects have ranged
from discrete activity areas within individual households (Manzanilla and Barba 1990;
Parnell et al. 2002; Wells et al. 2000) to landscape-wide surveys and applications (see
Holliday 1993).
By analyzing the chemical residues in the anthrosols (i.e., soils modified by
human activity) patterns can be detected in archaeological contexts where little artifact
material exists (Wells 2004a:67). Recent tests have demonstrated the potential power of
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