Revisiting Settlement Contemporaneity and Exploring Stability and Instability: Case Studies from the Indus Civilization.

ABSTRACT: "Map overestimation," or "the contemporaneity problem," derives from the assumption that settlements identified during surface surveys were occupied throughout individual periods. Inductive and simulation analysis have been used to ascertain the degree of contemporaneity in surface survey data sets, as variation in settlement location is critical for understanding population density and demography, which inform social, economic and political interpretations. This paper revisits the inductive approach to interrogating survey data developed by W. M. Sumner and the simulation model approach developed by R. E. Dewar to explore the survey data from two regions within South Asia's Indus civilization. This analysis demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches. It also highlights

SUBMITTER: Petrie CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7665820 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature