Settlement archaeology

Settlement archaeology studies where human communities lived, how their settlements were organized, and how these places changed over time, using archaeological evidence.

Archaeological survey: The systematic search and recording of archaeological remains across a landscape. Fieldwalking and remote sensing locate settlements before excavation.
Archaeological site: A place containing material traces of past human activity. Settlement archaeology interprets sites as parts of inhabited places and regions.
Landscape archaeology: The study of how people shaped and experienced landscapes through time. It links settlements with fields, routes, and other modified places.
Site archaeology: The investigation of archaeological remains within a particular site. Its site-level focus contrasts with settlement archaeology’s regional comparisons.
Site catchment analysis: A method for studying the resources and terrain accessible from an archaeological site. It tests how nearby land could support a settlement.
Settlement hierarchy: The ranking of settlements by characteristics such as size, function, and political importance. Differences in size and role help reconstruct relations among communities.
Urban archaeology: The archaeological study of cities and their material remains. Cities are dense, changing settlements with distinctive spatial problems.
Processual archaeology: An archaeological approach that explains past societies through systems, ecology, and testable models. Its explanatory models often shaped settlement research and survey design.
Settlement pattern: The distribution and arrangement of settlements across a region. Regional patterns connect individual sites to wider occupation.
Household archaeology: The study of domestic spaces, activities, and social relations through archaeological evidence. Households provide a fine-grained view of life within settlements.

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