GIS-Based Visibility Network and Defensibility Model to Reconstruct Defensive System of the Han Dynasty in Central Xinjiang, China

Zhu, Jianfeng; Nie, Yueping; Gao, Huaguang; Liu, Fang; Yu, Li

doi:10.3390/ijgi6080247

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…Keeley, et al, 2007). In fact, viewsheds have been used as proxies for the measurement of the effective defensibility of archaeological settlements (Loots, et al, 1999, Martindale and Supernant, 2009, Parcero-Oubiña, 2013, Sakaguchi, et al, 2010 or larger polities (Canosa-Betés, 2016, Zhu, et al, 2017, or as key elements in analysing specific conflict events such as sieges (Rubio-Campillo, et al, 2015) or battlefields (Nolan, 2009). In a similar vein, visual control has been used as a key element in the analysis of conquest strategies and the domination of complex polities (Acuto, et al, 2012, Kosiba andBauer, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Now you see me. An assessment of the visual recognition and control of individuals in archaeological landscapes

Fábrega-Álvarez

Parcero‐Oubiña

2019

Journal of Archaeological Science

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Visibility analysis has become extremely popular in landscape-oriented archaeology in recent decades and has become even more widespread with the popularization of GIS tools, which have multiplied the ways in which visual perception can be analysed and digitally modelled. Visibility has been used as a proxy for different archaeological approaches, from the analysis of subjective perception to the assessment of strategic control. While interest has most often been focused on how objects, features and sites are perceived, there has also been an interest in how visual control is exerted from archaeological sites or other places in the landscape. Within the latter approaches, the distances at which visual control can be exercised have usually been determined in a more or less arbitrary manner, without a clear and empirically informed reference on how things and, especially, people can be observed and recognized differently at a distance. In this paper, we present the results of a field experiment carried out to measure the distances at which individuals can be spotted, recognized and identified with the naked eye in favourable conditions. Based on these results, we introduce the concept of Individual Distance Viewshed (IDV) as a GIS-based representation of visual control. This will serve as a reference to better qualify potential visibility in landscape analysis. Finally, we illustrate the applicability of this approach with a case study which explores the relationship between visual control and mobility during the Iron Age in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Now you see me. An assessment of the visual recognition and control of individuals in archaeological landscapes

Fábrega-Álvarez

Parcero‐Oubiña

2019

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…In contemporary archaeological research, Geographic Information Systems (GISs) have emerged as indispensable tools, especially in the realm of spatial analysis of archaeological sites, notably within the military context and the assessment of fortified sites [35]. A key GIS feature leveraged in this context is the visibility analysis tool and the line-of-sight tool in ArcGIS, enabling the computation of a visibility index and determining what can be seen from one or multiple observer locations based on specified distances and fields of view [36].…”

Section: The Gis As a Tool For Assessing The Defensiveness Of Fortifi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Defensibility of Medieval Fortresses on the Mediterranean Coast: A Study of Algerian and Spanish Territories

Oulmas,

Abdessemed-Foufa,

Avilés

et al. 2023

IJGI

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This study focuses on assessing the defensiveness of medieval fortresses situated along the Mediterranean coast, including the Northern Algerian coast and Southeastern Spain. The proposed methodology involved a two-fold process comprising identification and evaluation. Initially, we identified and geolocated our case studies, deriving their locations from archival sources. We then seamlessly integrated them into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for precise georeferencing on a rasterized landscape. Subsequently, we conducted assessments of visibility, intervisibility, and elevation, which we consider pivotal in determining the degree of defensibility of the fortified sites. Specifically, the aim of this research was to investigate the intricate relationship between natural landscapes and architectural defensive features, with a focus on discerning the influence that the chosen location has on the strategic and defensive significance of the studied fortresses. Our findings reveal that the evolution of those defensive systems within our study context is intricately tied to the physical elements comprising the landscape. These natural constituents have served as a foundation for the architectural and defensive characteristics adopted by medieval builders. Furthermore, we delineated two distinct typologies: the isolated type, intentionally designed to obscure visibility, and the exposed type, characterized by a higher visibility index.

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“…The centrality metrics are popular indices used to describe the importance of local patches in a network, which mostly include the degree, betweenness, and closeness [37,73,74]. In this study, we wanted to assess the comprehensive importance of each patch in the ecosystem.…”

Section: Equationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Environmental Preference and the Site Selection Pattern Based on the Edge Effect and Network Structure in An Ecosystem

Zhu

Nie

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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Archaeological sites are facing serious threats from environmental changes in the background of urban sprawl. More efforts are needed to enhance the cognition of human–environment interactions for better conservation. Under the traditional geomantic view, the environmental preference involved was presented to guide ancient life. In this study, we analyzed the edge effect and network structure of two periods in an ecological transition zone where the ancient sites were located. From the cases of Gouzhang and Yinxian, the separability of edge intensity indicated the different site selection patterns because of the discrepancy of patch fragmentation and ecological structure. Additionally, the different trends of the edge effect were thought to be related to the complexity of the ecological network. Besides that, the ancient cities located in or around the high-centrality terrain in the network of closed space could have provided the convenience of accessing living materials from early ecosystems. In practice, the comprehensive methods based on geomantic and ecological analysis proved effective when used to explore possible areas of the undiscovered archaeological sites. What is more important is that traditional environmental perceptions could be integrated into a scientific system of the ecological landscape and contribute more to archaeological research and the study of ancient culture.

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GIS-Based Visibility Network and Defensibility Model to Reconstruct Defensive System of the Han Dynasty in Central Xinjiang, China

Cited by 6 publications

References 44 publications

Now you see me. An assessment of the visual recognition and control of individuals in archaeological landscapes

Now you see me. An assessment of the visual recognition and control of individuals in archaeological landscapes

Assessing the Defensibility of Medieval Fortresses on the Mediterranean Coast: A Study of Algerian and Spanish Territories

Ancient Environmental Preference and the Site Selection Pattern Based on the Edge Effect and Network Structure in An Ecosystem

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