ABSTRACT

This paper offers a new numerical approach to model the effects of archaeological site placement and population density on environmental suitability using two ecological models, the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and Ideal Despotic Distribution (IDD), treating the Oued Loukkos in northern Morocco as an example. This method incorporates local resource depletion with increasing population density consistent with the predictions of the IFD. It also incorporates the potential for the exclusion of part of the population from certain productive areas consistent with the IDD. In this study, we propose a dynamic approach to the impact of site placement on habitat suitability and therefore broader application for understanding changes in settlement distribution with population density through time. Furthermore, resulting settlements can be parameterized by a Zipf-Mandelbrot distribution, entailing a direct relationship between the ecological, demographic, and political factors and the resulting rank-size distribution of sites. This approach allows for a broader range of applications among foraging and agricultural economies.

摘要

本文提供了一种新的数值方法来模拟考古遗址位置和人口密度对环境适宜性的影响，使用理想自由分布 (IFD) 和理想专制分布 (IDD) 两种生态模型，将摩洛哥北部的 Oued Loukkos 视为例子。该方法将当地资源枯竭与人口密度增加相结合，这与 IFD 的预测一致。它还包含将部分人口排除在符合 IDD 的某些生产区域的可能性。在这项研究中，我们提出了一种动态方法来研究场地布置对栖息地适宜性的影响，因此更广泛地应用于了解随时间变化的人口密度的定居分布变化。此外，由此产生的定居点可以通过 Zipf-Mandelbrot 分布进行参数化，这意味着生态、人口和政治因素之间的直接关系以及由此产生的站点等级大小分布。这种方法允许在觅食和农业经济中进行更广泛的应用。