First Full Vector Archeomagnetic Data From Northern Mexico

Archeomagnetic data from nine pottery kilns at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paquimé, Casas Grandes, provide the first full vector determinations for Northern Mexico. This study challenges the existing Mexican secular variation curve by showing that geomagnetic field behavior in this region aligns more closely with the Western North American curve and the global SHAWQ2k model. The findings suggest that the previously modeled peak in inclination around 1200–1300 CE does not occur, offering new insights into regional geomagnetic history. Researchers used rock magnetic experiments to identify a Ti-poor titanomagnetite phase and applied alternating field/thermal demagnetization and the Thellier-Thellier protocol to estimate characteristic directions and archeointensities, correcting for anisotropy and cooling effects.

Tchibinda Madingou, B., Perrin, M., Hervé, G., Hernàndez Cardona, A., Alva‐Valdivia, L. M., & Cruz Antillón, R. (2021). First Full Vector Archeomagnetic Data From Northern Mexico. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22(10). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gc009969