SPATIAL MULTI-CRITERIA APPROACH TO THE EVALUATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Abstract

One of the most demanding and challenging tasks for an archaeologist is discovering new archaeological deposits. The archaeologist considers many historical facts and explores their interconnectedness and impact on ancient life. The surrounding has the most significant impact on the life of the human community. Therefore ancient communities inhabit such places that provide them with favorable conditions for life and development, i.e., adequate climate, proximity to water, food and raw materials, and the possibility of protection from enemies. To draw the attention of the archaeologists to the areas where spatial conditions are fulfilled until some level, the spatial multi-criteria analysis of landscape features can be of great help. This paper aims to evaluate the landscape by the several predefined criteria using the multi-criteria analysis supported by Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). Finally, the evaluation result is visualized in GIS, showing the places where it is to expect an archaeological deposit. As a study area, the Požega valley was chosen because it represents many archaeological sites dating from the Iron Age. According to the personal preferences, five criteria were selected and ranked: proximity to water, altitude, terrain, slope, proximity to mineral resources, and land use. Five potential sites for archaeological research were identified using multi-criteria analysis in GIS and AHP. Finally, the possibilities of multi-criteria analysis in GIS in archaeological research are presented and discussed.