8 research outputs found
Fishing strategies among prehistoric populations at Saquarema Lagoonal Complex, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Integrating Archaeological Theory and Predictive Modeling: a Live Report from the Scene
Footprints and Cartwheels on a Pixel Road: On the Applicability of GIS for the Modelling of Ancient (Roman) Routes
GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost
paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in recent years as ways of
approaching forms of mobility in the past. Roman roads are among the best-known
examples of ancient networks of paths and have been widely studied using such
approaches. In this paper, we shall make a general reflection on the applicability of
those tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient routes, with a special focus on
Roman roads. Drawing from a case study in the NW Iberian Peninsula, we shall
discuss certain aspects related to the potential and limits of Cumulative Costs, LCP
and other related tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient roads. We will
illustrate how the use of tools which explore potential mobility in less restricted
ways can help to overcome some of the limitations of LCP