Monte Albán: Settlement Patterns at the Ancient Zapotec Capital

The fractal geometry of ancient Maya settlement

Ancient Maya settlement patterns exhibit fractal geometry both within communities and across regions. Fractals are self-similar sets of fractional dimension. In this paper, we show how Maya settlement patterns are logically and statistically self-similar. We demonstrate how to measure the fractal dimensions (or Hausdorff–Besicovitch dimensions) of several data sets. We describe nonlinear dynami...

Identifying Ancient Settlement Patterns through LiDAR in the Mosquitia Region of Honduras

The Mosquitia ecosystem of Honduras occupies the fulcrum between the American continents and as such constitutes a critical region for understanding past patterns of socio-political development and interaction. Heavy vegetation, rugged topography, and remoteness have limited scientific investigation. This paper presents prehistoric patterns of settlement and landuse for a critical valley within...

A Volumetric Assessment of Ancient Maya Architecture: A GIS Approach to Settlement Patterns

An Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Settlement Patterns Using Location- Allocation Covering Models

Location-allocation models may be used to focus upon a multiplicity of factors potentially underlying settlement pattern development. We describe several such maximal covering models and their applicability in understanding the degree of political centralization in the Nile Valley during the Ramessid period (ca. 1317-1070 B.C.). The results of the covering models support the contention that the...

The Geographic Analysis of Ancient Maya Settlement and Polity

Many elements of ancient Maya culture — language, art, ecology, economics, politics — have a geographic aspect and can be profitably investigated through geographic analysis. We are developing a geographic information system (GIS) for the purpose of studying prehistoric Maya settlement and society. The GIS is composed of archaeological, epigraphic, and locational data. It includes the whole May...