Patch-based survey methods for studying prehistoric human land-use in agriculturally modified landscapes: A case study from the Canal de Navarrés, eastern Spain

Abstract

Keywords:Off-site methods Bayesian methods Digital data collection Mediterranean basin Spain Patch-based survey a b s t r a c t In landscapes whose surface has been modified by terracing and other agricultural land-use, the spatial and temporal patterning of prehistoric settlement can be difficult to detect using traditional, siteorientated archaeological survey methods, especially for small-scale societies. In these contexts, methods that can reveal occupational patterns at landscape scales, without the need to pinpoint specific sites of human occupation, can be especially useful. We employ a stratified, randomly selected patchbased survey strategy to examine socio-ecological dynamics from the Middle Paleolithic through Bell Beaker (Chalcolithic) periods within the Canal de Navarr es, eastern Spain. We divide the study region into survey strata according to differences in topography and vegetation communities and use a random selection of demarcated, terraced fields as data collection patches. All survey data is digitally recorded using tablets in the field, creating a streamlined and more accurate workflow, where observations of artifacts, soils, ground visibility, and photographs are georeferenced and ready for analysis in a GIS. Surface artifact densities, estimated from sampled patches, are used to generate prehistoric land-use maps and empirical Bayesian methods allow us to track shifts in occupational patterns through time. Regional reference collections of well-dated lithic artifacts provide the "prior knowledge" required to make estimates of the probability of prehistoric occupation in each sampled patch. This combination of field and analytical methods makes possible the study of regional-scale land-use dynamics in agriculturally modified landscapes.

The Mesolithic of Atlantic Coastal Spain – a comparison with the Middle Ebro Basin

“…However, with organic technologies, ephemeral structures, casual hearths and little accumulation of trash except for the concheros themselves, open air Asturian camps nearby would have left very little to have survived until the present. The near-total lack of systematic surveys in the region has also hindered recognition of surface sites (Snitker et al 2018). Regarding the disappearance of Azilian-like microlithic industries, densification of the forest might have caused changes in hunting practices and the technologies required to deal with them.…”

The Bayesian Inferential Paradigm in Archaeology

“…Other research has incorporated Bayesian chronological modelling into spatial archaeological analyses. For example, Snitker et al (2018) combined prehistoric land use maps generated by surveys, chronological data, and Bayesian methods to examine shifting occupation and land use patterns in Spain. The use of Bayesian methods in this study was critical as it allowed the researchers to make probabilistic inferences regarding the most likely occupation period at archaeological sites that may have been reused throughout history.…”

La inferencia cronológica bayesana aplicada a la industria lítica de la Prehistoria Reciente: el caso de estudio de los conjuntos superficiales de las terrazas del valle bajo del río Ebro (Aldover, Baix Ebre)

“…Además, debemos sumarle la incorporación de diferentes tipos de artefactos de distinta naturaleza que puedan dar información cronológica, tal y como se presenta en otros estudios. En la misma línea, se debe tener en cuenta el potencial de preservación de dichos artefactos 2004;Bernabeu et al 2001;Pardo-Gordó et al 2015;Snitker et al 2018).…”