Archaeology and geostatistics

Abstract

Geostatistics is used in many different disciplines to characterise spatial variation and for spatial prediction, spatial simulation and sampling design. Archaeology is an inherently spatial discipline and the models and tools provided by geostatistics should be as valuable in archaeology as they are in other disciplines that are concerned with spatially varying properties. However, there have, so far, been few applications of geostatistics in archaeology. This paper seeks to highlight some of the key tools provided by geostatistics and to show, through two case studies, how they may be employed in archaeological applications. Some relevant literature is summarised and two case studies are presented based on the analysis of (i) Roman pottery and (ii) soil phosphate data. Geostatistics is used in many different disciplines to characterise spatial variation and for spatial prediction, spatial simulation and sampling design. Archaeology is an inherently spatial discipline and the models and tools provided by geostatistics should be as valuable in archaeology as they are in other disciplines that are concerned with spatially varying properties. However, there have, so far, been few applications of geostatistics in archaeology. This paper seeks to highlight some of the key tools provided by geostatistics and to show, through two case studies, how they may be employed in archaeological applications. Some relevant literature is summarised and two case studies are presented based on the analysis of (i) Roman pottery and (ii) soil phosphate data. <br/