Representing Cultural Networks: A GIS Analysis of Spanish Colonial Settlement in San Diego

Summary

The colonial efforts by the Spanish and subsequent generations resulted in the formation of cultural networks that were based on the reliance and access to key ecological resources. Ultimately these networks influenced the development of social stratification of the San Diego River watershed and the surrounding region. Incorporating the analysis of archaeological, anthropological, and historical data, and utilizing geographic information systems, a series of maps depicting site densities, a suitability model, and cultural interaction diagrams were built. Coupled together, these maps highlight the cultural networks that had formed prior, during, and after Spanish contact. The analysis of these networks and the resulting social stratification resulted in identifying settlement patterns that influenced the development of the San Diego region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage