GIS as Method or Theory: The Settlement Ecology of Middle-Range Societies in Southeastern North America, AD 1000-1600

Summary

In this paper, I explore the relationship between method and theory in spatial archaeology that employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I do this through an examination of the settlement ecology of societies of varying sociopolitical complexity in the Southeastern United States. I use GIS to estimate past environments and landscapes and record attributes of settlement sites, their catchments, and surrounding areas, which I then analyze using spatial statistical methods. Comparisons of different sets of sites and different landscapes around them show hierarchical Mississippian and egalitarian Piedmont Village Tradition (PVT) communities had different settlement strategies and occupied different environments. These patterns suggest certain environments were more conducive to the appearance and persistence of sociopolitical complexity. This interpretation has a cultural ecological ring to it. However, a complete explanation requires a combination of cultural, behavioral, and historical ecological theory, especially when we account for the appearance of Mississippian traits on a small number of later PVT sites. This case study offers an opportunity to examine the role of GIS in the entire research process. Additionally, it provides a basis for a discussion of the role of GIS in the past, present, and future development of archaeological methods and theory.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Methodological Tool or Paradigm Shifter? Assessing the Status of GIS in Archaeological Research

Keywords

Spatial Coverage