5.5.7. Sampling High-density Loci

For the purposes of the Upper Colca project High density lociwere defined as areas where the density of the artifact scatter appeared to exceed 10 artifacts per m2. As with all loci, these concentrations were mapped using the mobile GIS interface, but then High-density loci were further characterized by collecting all artifacts within two or more 1x1 m sample squares for later analysis back in the lab. The Arcpad SampleDesignscript was used to pseudo-randomly place, using an unaligned-grid method, a sufficient a number of square sample units to cover at least 0.01 of the Shape Area (m2)of the locus as reported in Arcpad. This works out to a 1 m2collection area for every 100 m2of polygon area. The GPS indicator was used to navigate to the randomly generated point locations. When documenting each sample an overhead photo was taken of the 1x1m area from near-nadir for later georeferencing, and then artifacts were completely collected. One or more units were randomly placed somewhere within the polygon, and one unit was always placed right on the location of estimated highest density. During the 2003 season, such collections resulted in an average sampling fraction of 0.014 among the twenty-two samples that were collected during the course of the field season in this process of sampling high density loci.