The Tacna region in southern Peru hosts archaeological remnants of Pre-Columbian period human occupations, including the Miculla Petroglyphs. Existing methods for dating these petroglyphs present substantial uncertainties and are subject to claims lacking objective validation. This study employs advanced hyperspectral analysis, specifically utilizing the SPECIM IQ camera, to reevaluate existing chronological proposals for these petroglyphs. The employed analytical technique is non-destructive and captures spectral data across an extensive range of wavelengths. This allows for a quantitative assessment of patination levels attributable to solar exposure, in comparison to adjacent intact areas. Data from various petroglyphs were analyzed using SPECIM IQ Studio software and Matlab. The analysis differentiated between “engraved” and “varnished” regions on selected boulders. Reflectance ratios between these areas were compared to provide insights into the potential relative ages of different sets of engravings. The results question pre-existing chronologies based on cultural classification schemes for the petroglyphs. While the study underscores the utility of hyperspectral analysis in refining petroglyph dating, it also indicates that this method cannot replace a multi-method approach without further resolution refinement.

中文翻译：

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高光谱分析对 Miculla 岩画相关测年的贡献（秘鲁）


秘鲁南部的塔克纳地区拥有前哥伦布时期人类占领的考古遗迹，包括米库拉岩画。现有的对这些岩画进行年代测定的方法存在很大的不确定性，并且受到缺乏客观验证的主张的影响。这项研究采用先进的高光谱分析，特别是利用 SPECIM IQ 相机，重新评估这些岩画的现有年代建议。所采用的分析技术是非破坏性的，可以捕获广泛波长范围内的光谱数据。与邻近的完整区域相比，这可以对由于阳光照射而产生的锈蚀水平进行定量评估。使用 SPECIM IQ Studio 软件和 Matlab 分析来自各种岩画的数据。该分析区分了选定巨石上的“雕刻”和“清漆”区域。对这些区域之间的反射率进行比较，以深入了解不同雕刻组的潜在相对年龄。结果对基于岩画文化分类方案的现有年代学提出了质疑。虽然该研究强调了高光谱分析在改进岩画年代测定中的实用性，但它也表明，如果不进一步改进分辨率，这种方法不能取代多方法方法。