Mapping Three-Dimensional Density Patterns for Analyzing Artefact (Re)distribution Trends in Palaeolithic Sites

Rosalia Gallotti, Giuseppe Lembo, Carlo Peretto

Sezione Paleobiologia, Preistoria ed Antropologia, Dipartimento di Biologia ed Evoluzione, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Université Bordeaux, Talence, France.

DOI: 10.4236/aa.2012.22005                

Abstract

The artefact density in an archaeological deposit provides a direct record of the concentrating and dispersing effects of various formation processes. 2D density analyses have frequently been processed, especially through the topological properties of the Geographical Information System. Nevertheless, the resulting 2D visualisation by density maps does not consider or analyze the vertical interpolation of archaeological finds. This is limiting in the case of very thick archaeostratigraphic units, where the 3D visualisation of the density phenomena provides a basic tool for a better understanding of the real spatial distribution trends of archaeological remains. In this paper, we propose a new method for processing 3D density analyses, and we present its first application to the Middle Pleistocene site of Isernia La Pineta as a further step towards distinguishing the impact of natural and anthropogenic processes on site formation and stratogenesis.

Keywords

Intra-Site Spatial Analyses; 3D Density Patterns; Site Formation Processes; Geographical Information System; Middle Pleistocene; Isernia La Pineta

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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