Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2014

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Anthropology

Committee Chair

Haws, Jonathan A.

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Diblasi, Philip

Committee Member

Diblasi, Philip

Committee Member

Forbes, Robert

Subject

Archaeology--Geographic information systems; Geographic information systems; Archaeology--Methodology; Paleolithic period--Portugal; Portugal--History

Abstract

Developments in landscape approaches to archaeological research have been greatly advanced by the use of geospatial technologies. Despite this boon, certain questions remain where the spatial distributions of archaeological material are complicated by other factors. Geomorphic processes significantly hinder site survivability and visibility, and complicate fieldwork. Such is the case for Paleolithic archaeological sites in Portugal, where the current landscape has been drastically altered since Paleolithic human occupation at the Last Glacial Maximum. The challenge to landscape-scale approaches is to provide a bridge between long-term environmental factors and smaller-scale evidence for human-ecosystem interaction. This requires that adaptations be made to landscape approaches and applications of geospatial technology, and adjustments to conceptual frameworks regarding site distribution are necessary in order to understand locality patterns. This work focuses on the results of geospatial analysis of data from recent archaeological investigations of the Paleolithic in the coastal region of Estremadura in Portugal, and places them within conceptual frameworks that account for severe environmental changes and limited site survivability.

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