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This study employs the aspirations‐capabilities framework to explore the intricate interplay between choices and constraints shaping migrants' settlement patterns, with a particular emphasis on the often‐overlooked aspect of educational attainment. Using Swedish register data containing information about migrants' educational level, this paper examines and typifies the initial residential sorting patterns of migrants arriving in Sweden in the period 2000–2014. Employing multinomial logistic regression to understand how migrant sorting takes place, the results show a clear distinction in settlement patterns, with higher educated migrants being more likely to settle in metropolitan areas, and lower educated migrants ending up in rural areas, even when controlling for region of origin and purpose of migration. Nordic and African migrants, resettled refugees, older migrants, and migrant families with younger children are most likely to live in sparsely populated areas. The paper concludes that these trends exacerbate existing patterns of spatial polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds select breeding territories by assessing territory quality and considering predation pressure. However, in many small passerines, brood parasitism may also play an important role in territory occupancy. Settlement decisions are made under time pressure, especially for late migrants. An example of late migrants is the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio, a species wintering in sub-tropical Africa, which serves as a host for the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus and arrives in territories a few days later than their brood parasite. We expected that arriving red-backed shrikes avoided territories with common cuckoo presence. Then, we tested how experimentally provided artificial playback calls of the common cuckoo and woodpigeon (treated as control) affected the probability of red-backed shrike settlement. In the breeding season 2021, we observed 279 red-backed shrike territories to assess the effect of playback of common cuckoo calls on their host presence. Moreover, we adopt information on shrike territories collected in previous years to establish territory quality, measured by occupancy pattern over years. Each of these places was also checked for the presence of corvids, which are predators of shrike nests. We did not find difference with lower preference of shrikes towards cuckoo calls and to pigeon calls Columba columbus, what suggest the human presence and manipulation in the territories during experiments with recorders should be incorporated as an important factor to understanding shrikes' settlement behaviour. What is interesting we found no negative effect of corvids (jay Garrulus glandarius) in control territories. However, shrike territories where cuckoo calls were emitted and where the presence of corvids was found were less likely to be inhabited by shrikes. Therefore, territory quality, human presence enhanced by nest predators, is an important factor affecting host–parasite interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating satellite imagery is crucial for remote sensing and computer vision in socio-economic studies. Machine learning techniques are typically used to extract valuable information from satellite images. This article presents an enhanced approach applying computer vision not only to satellite images but also to five different map sources, such as OpenStreetMap and building footprints. The goal is to determine if useful insights can be derived from simplified feature representations, improving the understanding of fundamental satellite imagery data. We conducted an experiment predicting the settlement patterns of university graduates in Vienna, using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to analyze grid cell images (250 m × 250 m) from satellites and five different maps. The model predicted five density classes of graduates, achieving an accuracy rate of 35.99% using building footprints, outperforming the 35.15% accuracy based on satellite images, while other map representations underperformed. These results suggest that building outlines and the open space between buildings contain vital predictive information. Our findings highlight the potential of this approach beyond socio-economic variables, demonstrating the capability of understanding maps via CNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly excavated, well-built, Middle Bronze (MB) II–III coastal structure at Tel Dor provides a fresh glimpse into the turbulent settlement history of the Carmel Coast in the first half of the 2nd millennium b.c.e. The structure, incorporating a massive ashlar orthostat, was built in the MB I–II transition or MB II and existed for more than a century before its collapse during the MB III. A tight cluster of radiocarbon data indicates its destruction ca. 1600–1550 b.c.e. As the first Middle Bronze Age structure extensively excavated at Dor, it fills a lacuna in the site's history. Other Middle Bronze Age finds enable a reconstruction of Dor's anchorages and create a narrative of settlement patterns on the Carmel Coast, tightly connected with contemporary maritime activities, and reflecting a resilient settlement system devoid of urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2100 and 500 BP, maize farming spread throughout the American Southwest, driving changes in land use patterns and relative increases in the number of archaeological sites, which is commonly interpreted as increases in population. In the context of the Southwest, with its variable topography and limited water sources, the locations suitable for productive maize agriculture are limited. Higher elevation locations often have a greater abundance of water, both in the form of precipitation and perennial water sources but lack the growing season lengths required for maize farming. Lower elevation locations have the long growing seasons required for maize, but often have higher evaporation rates corresponding with higher temperatures, and thus decreased soil moisture retention. The relationship between elevation and maize agriculture is well recognized, and locations where both growing season length and moisture requirements can be met serve as a Goldilocks Zone in which maize farming is possible. Here, we use a regional approach to model the Goldilocks Zone for maize farming in Utah, and then contextualize patterns of settlement and abandonment on the West Tavaputs Plateau (WTP) in east-central Utah. We use archaeological sites with direct evidence of maize cultivation, modern growing degree days estimates, and modern estimates of moisture abundance to bracket the prehistoric maize farming niche in Utah. Then, we apply the model to archaeological data from the WTP to test hypotheses derived from the Ideal Free Distribution model about the effects population and precipitation changes had on prehistoric land use patterns of settlement and abandonment, and whether the patterns of settlement and abandonment differ from one another. We find that a) population drives land use patterns in the WTP, but not in the way we originally hypothesized, suggesting there is an important decision variable missing from our model, which may pertain to the specific topographic setting of the WTP and the distribution of its water sources, b) precipitation has no effect on land use patterns suggesting that maize agriculture on the WTP was dependent on irrigation, and c) that patterns of settlement and abandonment seem to mirror each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional GIS-based statistical models are intended to extrapolate patterns of settlements and their interactions with the environment. They contribute significantly to our knowledge of past human–land relationships. Yet, these models are often criticized for their empiricism, lopsided specific factors, and for overlooking the synergy between variables. Though largely untested, machine learning and artificial intelligence methods have the potential to overcome these shortcomings comprehensively and objectively. The northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) is characterized by diverse environments and significant changes to the social system from the Neolithic to Bronze Age. In this study, this area serves as a representative case for assessing the complex relationships between settlement locations and geographic environments, taking full advantages of these new models. We have explored a novel modeling case by employing GIS and random forests to consider multiple factors, including terrain, vegetation, soil, climate, hydrology, and land suitability, to construct classification models identifying environmental variation across different cultural periods. The model exhibited strong performance and a high archaeological prediction value. Potential living maps were generated for each cultural stage, revealing distinct environmental selection strategies from the Neolithic to Bronze Age. The key environmental parameters of elevation, climate, soil erosion, and cultivated land suitability were calculated with high weights, influencing human environmental decisions synergistically. Furthermore, we conducted a quantitative analysis of temporal dynamics in climate and subsistence to understand driving mechanisms behind environmental strategies. These findings suggest that past human environmental strategies were based on the comprehensive consideration of various factors, coupled with their social economic scenario. Such subsistence-oriented activities supported human beings in overcoming elevation limitation, and thus allowed them to inhabit wider pastoral areas. This study showcases the potential of machine learning in predicting archaeological probabilities and in interpreting the environmental influence on settlement patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of the continental shelf has accelerated significantly as nations around the world seek to harness offshore renewable energy. Many areas marked for development align with submerged palaeolandscapes. Poorly understood and difficult to protect, these vulnerable, prehistoric landscapes provide specific challenges for heritage management. Indeed, there now appears to be a schism between what underwater cultural heritage policy intends and what it is achieving in practice. Shortcomings in international and national legislature ensures that large parts of the continental shelf, including areas under development, may have little or no legal protection. Increasingly impacted by extensive development, these unique cultural landscapes are ever more at risk. However, heritage challenges posed by such development also create opportunities. An immense amount of data is being generated by development, and there is an opportunity to establish broader cooperative relationships involving industrial stakeholders, national curators, government bodies, and heritage professionals. As a matter of urgency, the archaeological community must better engage with the offshore sector and development process. If achieved, we may revolutionise our knowledge of submerged prehistoric settlement and land use. Otherwise, our capacity to reconstruct prehistoric settlement patterns, learn from past climate change, or simply manage what are among the best-preserved postglacial landscapes globally may be irreparably undermined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effect of thickness and initial retroreflective luminous coefficient (RL) on the retroreflection attenuation of thermoplastic road marking. The road marking with a thickness range of 2.5-3.7 mm were divided into six groups with a 0.2 mm interval to assess the relationship between the initial RL and the retroreflection attenuation. The settlement pattern of glass beads was also investigated for road markings with different thicknesses. Furthermore, the road markings with an initial RL range of 457-492 mcd·lx-1·m-2 and a thickness range of 2.46 ~ 3.42 mm were divided into four groups. The RL values at 7, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days were measured and compared to assess the impact of thickness and initial RL on retroreflection attenuation. It is concluded that the change of RL value is due to the change of glass bead embedment. When the thickness is 3.08 mm and the initial RL is 465.5 mcd·lx-1·m-2, there is a noticeable delay in the retroreflection attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Austronesian settlers at the site of San Roque in Saipan and the southern Mariana Islands began arriving sometime after 1500 BC in what is called the Early Pre-Latte Period. A comparison of San Roque to contemporaneous island sites reveals differences in cooking and habitation features, ceramic vessels and decorative styles, marine shell tools and ornaments, and settlement patterns that were apparent within and between islands and sites until the middle of the first millennium BC. Changes in sea level and natural resource availability then appear to have accompanied changes in material culture, when some coastal sites were abandoned or moved seaward, while other inhabitants moved inland with a more terrestrial subsistence strategy shared elsewhere in Micronesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societies' use of material resources is increasingly recognized as a key factor behind sustainability problems. The mass of materials used per capita and year differs substantially between countries. However, a limited range of variables (mostly per‐capita gross domestic product [GDP]) were analyzed to explain this variation. Spatial patterns of cities influence their resource use, but the role of patterns of settlements and infrastructures as co‐determinants of national‐level material use is unknown, mainly due to lacking data to investigate their effects at that scale. Here we start closing this gap by systematically analyzing a broad set of potential determinants of national per‐capita material demand, including built structures. Material demand is represented by both production‐ and consumption‐based indicators. Among its potential determinants, we analyze eight novel indicators representing extent and spatial patterns of settlements and transport infrastructures in each country, along with GDP and other indicators considered so far. Analyzing 123 countries inhabited by 91% of the world population and accounting for 92% of world GDP, we show that built structures strongly co‐determine resource use. Indicators of extent and spatial patterns of built structures have substantial additional explanatory power beyond GDP and other conventional indicators for both production‐ and consumption‐based material flow indicators. The area of built‐up land per capita emerges as the strongest predictor, but several other indicators representing built structures are also highly relevant. Limiting built‐up land and designing spatial patterns of built structures hence deserve attention in attempts to reduce societies' resource throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infanticide is a significant evolutionary force influencing carnivore behaviours, as it is one of the primary contributors to offspring mortality. Female multimale mating, which creates paternal uncertainty, is known to reduce infanticide. We propose that two crucial steps are needed for this strategy to work in solitary species like brown bears, Ursus arctos. First, after mating, females should choose dens within their mating area (step 1), boosting the chances of encountering potential fathers of cub(s) after den emergence in spring. However, the efficacy of this strategy hinges on males' fidelity to the same mating areas from one year to the next (step 2). Our study confirmed that pregnant females consistently selected dens within their mating areas, with significant overlap (around 90%) between areas used by females with cubs and their mating zones. Males also demonstrated fidelity (over 65%) to mating areas over 2 consecutive years. Infanticide significantly shapes the sociospatial ecology of female brown bears, a phenomenon that can carry nutritional costs for females with cubs, and influence settlement patterns near human shields to increase reproductive success. Additionally, in hunted populations, removing resident males can trigger an influx of potentially infanticidal bears from elsewhere. • Infanticide represents one of the main causes of offspring mortality in carnivores. • Natural selection has favoured several behavioural counterstrategies in females. • Female bear multimale mating reduces infanticide by creating paternal uncertainty. • Males show fidelity to the same mating areas from one year to the next. • Females with cubs remain in the mating area to increase chances of meeting fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the interrelations between migration, agricultural production, class, and cultural belonging, focusing on the economic and demographic transformation of Gemlik, an Ottoman district that underwent substantial change over the course of the nineteenth century. Based on the mid-nineteenth-century population and tax registers of the town of Gemlik and of two villages in the district, Kurşunlu and Kumla-i Sagir, we demonstrate that the agricultural economy in the district was heavily shaped by commodity production in the context of the district's increasing integration into global markets. By tracing specific patterns of mobility and settlement over time, we show that the process of global integration was entangled with class and cultural differentiation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canggu is one of the settlements Village in the southern coastal community in Bali which is currently experiencing very rapid tourism development. This village has a relatively flat topographic condition, as well as being one of the areas of Majapahit descent. The rapid development of tourist accommodation that currently occurs in Canggu, has an impact on the high conversion of land use, and the disruption of local community settlements. Seeing this fact, it is considered necessary to make an evaluation study on the development of spatial planning which will later be used as input in determining spatial land use control policies in Canggu Village. This research uses qualitative methods, case studies using field observation techniques and interviews, which are then compared with literature reviews in the form of regional spatial policy studies and relevant theories. The analysis was conducted on the residential area of Canggu Village, which aimed to determine the main causes of land use change and displacement of local community settlements. From the results of the analysis, which is then compared with literature studies, it is expected to be able to find a solution to preserve the urgency of local community settlements. The results of the analysis show that the implementation of spatial concepts sourced from culture is more respected by the community compared to local government policies. The hulu-teben concept as the basis for the preservation of settlement spatial values derived from the Tri Hita Karana cultural philosophy, is considered very effective and feared by the community because it is related to social sanctions that must be borne by the community, which are outlined in pararem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A fractional-order viscoelastic model is used to simulate soil. • The time variation of engineering load is considered. • The layered property of soil is considered. • The influence of the bottom rock on the soil is considered. • The recovery of settlement after unloading is analyzed. Time-varying loading is a frequently encountered loading type in geotechnical engineering. As the deformation of viscoelastic soil is related to its loading history, studying the viscoelastic problems under time-varying loads has important practical engineering significance. In this paper, the stress and displacement of a layered soil with fractional-order viscoelastic model under time-varying loads were solved using the complex variable method and the corresponding principle. Under the assumption of quasi-static and linear elasticity, this paper derives the quasi-static elastic solutions of a layered soil under time-varying strip loads. By introducing the fractional-order viscoelastic model and using the corresponding principle, the Laplace-domain analytical solutions are obtained. Finally, numerical methods are utilized to perform the Laplace inverse transform and obtain the solutions in the physical domain. The correctness of this paper is validated by comparing the numerical results with the ANSYS software, as well as by comparison with previous literature. Based on the experimental data, the material parameters of frozen soil at two temperatures are fitted. The settlement patterns of soil under two engineering loads were analyzed through case studies. By controlling variables, the influence of parameters of the fractional viscoelastic model on elastic aftereffect was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angus J. L. Winchester's book, "Common Land in Britain: A History from the Middle Ages to the Present Day," provides a comprehensive exploration of common land in Britain. The book examines various aspects of common land, including its scale, legal position, management, economic exploitation, communal use, and settlement patterns. Winchester also analyzes the process of change through the enclosure movement and the shift towards preserving and extending open spaces for recreational use. The book includes eight case studies that highlight the evolution and survival of specific commons in England, Scotland, and Wales. Overall, the book offers valuable insights into the history and significance of common land in Britain. [Extracted from the article]

Several localities across the Vanuatu archipelago (Melanesia), so-called 'Polynesian Outliers', are inhabited by communities that display Polynesian linguistic and cultural features although being located outside the Polynesian Triangle. Several introductions of Polynesian genetic components to Central and Southern Vanuatu during the last millenium have resulted in the cultural distinctiveness observed among the Polynesian Outliers in Vanuatu. However, social, political or economic process surrounding the exchange of genes between Polynesian and local individuals remain unidentified. Recent bioanthropological studies suggest the existence of female mobilities from neighboring regions to Vanuatu but also to the Polynesian Outliers of Taumako (Solomon Islands) within patrilocal societies. We aim to examine the hypothesis that Polynesian biological affinities observed in ancient individuals from Vanuatu are gendered or sex-specific, and that some of the Polynesian migrations during the last millennium may have involved practices of exogamy. By reconstructing phenotypes and biological identities from 13 archaeologically-recovered human skulls (400–300 years ago) from "Polynesian-related" regions of Vanuatu, we provide new insights to better contextualize the settlement patterns of Polynesian individuals. Eastern-Pacific associated phenotype are observable in 4 women from the Eretok burial complex (Efate region) and the Polynesian Outlier of Futuna, who were buried in close proximity to individuals with Western-Pacific associated phenotype. We suggest that close integration of individuals from the East into the local Vanuatu society, as well as the practice of exogamy, might have been key processes contributing to the preservation of Polynesian cultural features in Vanuatu over the past millennium. Our finding are cross-referenced with oral records from these two areas, as well as the known genetic makeup of the Vanuatu Polynesian Outliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxbow lakes in the Indian subcontinent are niches rich in biodiversity, and contain insights into the palaeoclimate and past settlement patterns of the region. This study examines an erstwhile oxbow lake in Sonipat, Haryana, India, which possibly arose from the former course of River Yamuna. The study first confirms the presence of this lake using satellite imagery to identify its remnants. It also employs various pathways, including elevation data, Corona imagery and Survey of India maps, to discern the path of the lake in today's geography of Sersa. The reason for its disappearance has also been accounted for in this study. Apart from using satellite evidence and GIS, an on-site ground truth survey was also conducted, the results of which are discussed. Finally, further suggestions for research are provided to understand the palaeoclimate of the study site. It is also significant that this would be an understudied avenue of research on such a feature in Sonipat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Florida Keys comprise a unique ecological and archaeological setting in the southeastern United States yet have remained relatively understudied archaeologically for much of the twentieth century. Anecdotal accounts of "Spanish wells," employed by sailors and settlers during the colonial and early modern eras, have long posed questions about the availability of freshwater resources to Indigenous communities in the islands and how this availability may have impacted settlement patterns. Herein, we conduct the first systematic investigation of the "Spanish wells" in English-language historical records and compare their descriptions and locations to those of known Indigenous archaeological sites in the archipelago. In total, 22 distinct water sources in and near the Keys were attested to in documents and personal accounts from 1601 CE to 2021 CE. Geospatial analysis of their distribution relative to local archaeological sites returned few statistically significant results, however, likely influenced by the extensive history of site loss in the region. While the exact nature of most "wells" remains unclear, descriptions of their reliability and their broad spatial distribution bolsters the possibility of these water resources supporting year-round Indigenous communities in the archipelago prior to colonization. Future investigation focused on the identified water sources could shed further light on their exact nature and possible exploitation by Indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Information on epibionts and symbionts of the introduced Barents Sea red king crab during the winter period is currently lacking. To address this gap, we examined the species composition and infestation indices of epibionts on this host in the northern part of Kola Bay in November. Our findings indicate a higher infestation rate of barnacles and amphipods during the winter season compared to the summer. In contrast, infestation rates of other species remained low during winter, reflecting seasonal fluctuations in both the size distribution of red king crabs and prevailing temperature conditions. Our research provides novel data on the growth patterns of commonly associated organisms, which could prove invaluable in determining the age of red king crabs in the Barents Sea. The species composition of epibiotic communities on red king crab was investigated in Sayda Bay, Russia, during November of 2015 and 2016. The community consisted of 12 species in total. Among epibionts, the barnacle Balanus crenatus was most prevalent (67.0%), while the amphipod Ischyrocerus commensalis was the most frequent symbiont (77.3%). Infestation levels in May–June 2005 and September 2004 were higher, as a larger proportion of small crabs without fouling species were present during those seasons. The lower infestation intensities recorded for other common associated organisms during winter can be attributed to their increased mortality due to unfavorable temperature conditions. The localization of epibionts and symbionts were related to larval settlement patterns of attached species and feeding behavior of mobile species. Monthly growth increments for I. commensalis and B. crenatus were estimated at 2 mm in body length and 1.35 mm in basal diameter, respectively. Size-at-age data for epibionts can aid in the age determination of large male crabs that may skip an annual molt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper gleans insights from significant historical cases to unravel the essence of a 'creative milieu.' Our study scrutinizes the factors that shaped artists' settlement patterns in Shanghai during the Republican era (1912–1948) by constructing both global and local spatial regression models across three pivotal years, thus unveiling seven distinct variable categories. We argue that paramount among these attributes are individual art intermediaries, art schools, and art organizations. Furthermore, our inquiry acknowledges the diverse and idiosyncratic characteristics inherent to artistic communities and delineates between attributes of particular relevance to the Chinese context and those adaptable within a Western paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimenting with a new materialist diffractive approach, this article offers an insight into the agential capacities of lines by juxtaposing two apparently unrelated cases of large-scale drawing practices: the aesthetic process involved in an event of artistic creation and the scientific process of visual representation of data-supported meteorological measurements. The article makes use of the analysis of Jim Denevan's land art as a tool with which to approach cartography-based colonial politics in the Naqab/Negev Desert (Israel). Such an unusual methodological strategy assists in exposing how political decisions based on the system of scientific classification of land have contributed to the substantial reconfiguration of settlement patterns in the region, negatively affecting the life of a significant number of Bedouin Arabs, indigenous to this land. By investigating the possibly harmful, highly politicised potentials of cartographic endeavours while uncovering their material-semiotic contingency, the article reveals how the enterprise of mapping space can benefit colonialism and discriminatory politics. The aim is to offer a cultural studies understanding of the problematic political and environmental developments taking place in the Naqab/Negev, explaining how the science-based politics of drawing has been mobilised for the purpose of colonial policy, translating into the discriminatory treatment of the indigenous population while extrapolating spatial injustices in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since May 2022, six newly-discovered sacrificial pits have been excavated at the Sanxingdui site, revealing 13,000 cataloged artifacts. Over 3000 of them are intact, well-preserved artifacts made of ivory and other materials. Considering the discoveries from these six pits and the two previously excavated pits, we propose that pits K5 and K6 were used as sacrificial pits for sacrificial activities, while the other pits served as burial pits for ritual objects. The excavations detailed in this article hold great significance for understanding the sacrificial activities, the sacrificial systems of the ancient Shu state, and the shifting settlement patterns at the Sanxingdui site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies related to prehistoric, Circum-Alpine lakeside settlements have for the last decade or so begun to focus increasingly on the reconstruction of its inhabitant's social dimensions of life. More traditional models attempting to explain the often-fleeting settlement patterns set in a tightly managed cultural landscape focusing on climate and economic factors alone have proven insufficient and opened up to more nuanced and multi-scalar approaches. Especially built structures, due to their exceptional preservation, constitute a popular jumping-off point for a number of theories and interpretations but recent work has also moved beyond the confines of the settlement to include the wider cultural landscape as crucial in understanding the lakeside phenomenon. This article re-evaluates one of the more popular architecture-based models, namely the non-correspondence model, and subsequently suggests an alternative, more integrative approach based on Amos Rapoport's understanding of space. The aim is to create a more flexible approach to questions of space, time and meaning that does not stop at the built environment. Input from both the natural and the social sciences is combined in an attempt to sketch out an approximation of life on the lakeshores more than 5000 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper "Late Tripolye Culture Settlement Spatial Patterning: Case study from the Gordineşti II-Stînca goală site, Northern Moldova" deals with the archaeological excavations at the Gordineşti II-Stînca goală site in Northern Moldova. The authors present the results of investigations into the structural patterning of residential structures, ground-penetrating radar surveys, and desk-based kernel density estimation (KDE) analyses in order to gain a better understanding of the spatial organization of the settlement. The results indicate the high archaeological potential of the site, with likely multiple systematically and functionally arranged residential structures. The paper emphasizes the importance of studying the spatial organization of settlements for understanding prehistoric societies. [Extracted from the article]

This article sets out to broaden our knowledge of the sociopolitical dynamics of Santarém (AD 1000–1600), a regional society in the Lower Amazon, by synthesizing the existing archaeological data relating to settlement patterns, ritual ceramics, prestige goods and chronology, as well as exploring aspects linked to the technology of ceramic production at the Carapanari site, a small-scale community located in the region during the late precolonial period. Using an integrated approach, the research combines a techno-functional analysis of a sample basically composed of ceramic fragments, providing information on the original forms and possible uses, with microscopy and compositional analyses of fragments based on instrumental neutron activation analysis. This enables the identification of technological choices, processes of innovation and behavioral changes, also present at other sites in the region that are expressed over time. The set of information presented here engages with recent debates on the emergence of complex societies, providing some insight into the historical development of this polity in Amazonia during the late precolonial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has intensified pressures on global water systems, particularly impacting informal settlements. Understanding water usage patterns within these settlements is of importance for better addressing water scarcity issues. Current methods for gaining information about water within these settings tend to lack spatio-temporal granularity and miss complex patterns of behavior related to water usage. As a consequence, there is a shortage of the reliable quantitative measurements needed to improve water management processes and modeling. Here we introduce a low-cost sensing platform for water assessment in informal settlements. Households within these types of settlements, lacking water utility connections and piping, often use storage tanks and buckets to distribute, store, and consume water; hence, the platform consists of four distinct sensor modules that can be placed on these types of water infrastructure. Evaluated in controlled settings, the sensors prove to be reliable for measuring water quantity, quality, and usage. Field testing within an informal community in Mexico reveals that the system can comprehensively track multiple tank storage levels, assess water quality, and capture bucket usage patterns without disrupting a household's common activities or infrastructure. Our validation shows the technique's potential to improve water management in informal communities, while opening opportunities for enhancement of water-related research and policy making through combinations of top-down and bottom-up interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qumayrah microregion lies in the mountains of northern Oman, roughly halfway between two large oasis settlements—Bat and Hili. It is situated at the crossing of routes leading from the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman into the interior. Results of a previous archaeological excavation and survey confirmed the presence of sites from prehistoric times to the Islamic period in the area. In light of both the continuity of settlement and the location of the microregion, its survey became an essential undertaking. The project has a multidisciplinary character, combining traditional archaeological survey methods with geological prospection. The aim of the pedestrian survey is to identify settlement points, which could link the Qumayrah microregion with Hili Oasis, while the geological prospection is tasked with collecting information on the raw material resources in the region that could have influenced settlement activity in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al‐Mudhaybi Regional Survey uses different methods to reconstruct the diachronic development of the archaeological landscape within a 930 km2 area. This article evaluates the different outcomes of remote sensing, ground‐truthing and systematic field‐walking of transects regarding the type and chronological range of structures found. Additionally, it considers the impact of the geological background on the presence/absence of structures and finds. Through these surveys, it will be demonstrated that, first, while above‐ground, solid constructions like Early Bronze Age tombs are easily spotted during remote sensing, smaller, often below‐ground tombs of other periods and domestic architecture of any (pre‐Late Islamic) date were only identified in the field. Second, Umm an‐Nar and Iron Age structures and finds tend to be clustered in a few spots, while remains of other periods, especially the Hafit, are more dispersed. Third, there are different location choices over time regarding the geological background of structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The movement of the ground and the redistribution of stress caused by shield tunneling result in deformations and changes in internal forces in bridge pile foundations, which, in turn, affect the safety of pile superstructure. A numerical computational model based on the modified Mohr–Coulomb (MMC) criterion was proposed to analyze the effects of shield tunneling on the stability of the pile foundations of existing bridges during the early, middle, and late stages of shield tunnel construction. A 3D numerical model of the shield tunnel and bridge pile foundation was constructed using the finite element software Midas GTSNX. The ground movements and deformation patterns of pile foundations were analyzed throughout the entire shield tunneling process beneath existing bridge pile foundations. Results demonstrate that utilizing the elastic-plastic constitutive model founded on the MMC criterion is more effective for illustrating the surface settlement pattern induced by shield tunnel construction. Bridge piles are continuously deforming during the construction of a shield tunnel. The deformation of a bridge pile is maximized when a shield tunnel reaches the foundation of the pile. The deformation of bridge pile foundations remains stable after passage. The deformation and bending moments of bridge pile foundations decrease with an increase in distance from the tunnel. The influence on bridge pile foundations is reduced with an increase in distance from the shield tunnel. This study provides a good reference for the construction quality control and safety assessment of similar tunnel projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State legibility is an extended metaphor of writing, but does not have to be based on writing itself. In the Wa State of Myanmar – a de-facto state with high levels of illiteracy – state legibility is produced through a centralisation of information in military government and a grid-like re-organisation of settlement patterns. This article explores two correlations between projects of state legibility and ways of addressing others' intentions: First, centralisation of information forces subordinates to consider the intentions of the centre. Second, living in a grid forces people to consider each other's minds. State legibility, through the use of media that reference the results of action, enables verbalising others' intentions as their 'minds', that is, as the inner source of action. In a society where public mind reading has historically been discouraged, these projects have facilitated a regime of intention management in which public mind reading is central. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the long-term trajectory of violence in societies that inhabited the coast of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile using three lines of evidence: bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology and socio-cultural contexts (rock art, weapons, and settlement patterns). These millennia-old populations adopted a way of life, which they maintained for 10,000 years, based on fishing, hunting, and maritime gathering, complementing this with terrestrial resources. We analyzed 288 adult individuals to search for traumas resulting from interpersonal violence and used strontium isotopes 87Sr/86Sr as a proxy to evaluate whether individuals that showed traces of violence were members of local or non-local groups. Moreover, we evaluated settlement patterns, rock art, and weapons. The results show that the violence was invariant during the 10,000 years in which these groups lived without contact with the western world. During the Formative Period (1000 BC-AD 500), however, the type of violence changed, with a substantial increase in lethality. Finally, during the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000–1450), violence and lethality remained similar to that of the Formative Period. The chemical signal of Sr shows a low frequency of individuals who were coastal outsiders, suggesting that violence occurred between local groups. Moreover, the presence of weapons and rock art depicting scenes of combat supports the notion that these groups engaged in violence. By contrast, the settlement pattern shows no defensive features. We consider that the absence of centralized political systems could have been a causal factor in explaining violence, together with the fact that these populations were organized in small-scale grouping. Another factor may have been competition for the same resources in the extreme environments of the Atacama Desert. Finally, from the Formative Period onward, we cannot rule out a certain level of conflict between fishers and their close neighbors, the horticulturalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey teams at the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna have mapped 70 percent of its 20 km2 area and revealed the extent of settlement around the city center. Large-scale civic architecture, and the distribution of smaller ceremonial groups and minor centers, reflect the wealth and power of Maya rulers presiding over the largest Classic period city in the upper Belize River area. Previous analyses suggest disparities in wealth at El Pilar were more nuanced than the elite/commoner dichotomy commonly invoked for Classic Maya society. This article works to understand wealth inequality at ancient El Pilar by computing Gini coefficients from areal and volumetric calculations of primary residential units—the class of settlement remains most likely to represent ancient households. Presentation of Gini coefficients and their potential interpretations follows a discussion of settlement classification and residential group labor investment. We conclude by contextualizing these results within prior settlement pattern analyses to explore how disparities in wealth may have been distributed across the physical and social landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

House size provides a comparative measure of household wealth that enables archaeologists to track global trends in inequality across a range of sedentary societies. Such approaches hold particular promise for Maya archaeology given its long history of settlement pattern research and recent applications of LiDAR to map large areas surrounding ancient Maya cities. Estimating dwelling size, however, is not a trivial exercise. This article addresses potential confounds associated with geometric-based estimates (volume and area) and compares traditional house size-based measures of wealth with other estimates of house size and quality of life indicators. Settlement pattern data from the Upper Usumacinta Confluence Zone, recently collected by the Proyecto Arqueológico Altar de Sacrificios, combined with previously published excavation data provide a robust dataset to evaluate alternative measures of wealth beyond house size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of housing study in the historical areas brings to important issues such as the tendencies of the users in housing preferences and purchasing emerge. Determining housing preferences in historical areas is important to ensure socio-spatial sustainability and the protection-usage balance in these areas, which have a unique settlement pattern. The aim of the study is to determine which factors shape the housing preferences of the users in these areas. Also, it is aimed to evaluate whether registered and traditional residences are a reason for preference by individuals. Kilitbahir located within the boundaries of Çanakkale Gallipoli Historical Site has been determined as the case area. In this study, in which descriptive survey model was used, the main and subfactors were analyzed to determine the housing preferences in the historical area. Evaluation was made in four groups: the main factors affecting the housing preferences, the sub-factors determining the housing preferences, the analysis of the propositions for the housing market and the analysis of the housing preferences according to the user profiles. As a result of the evaluations, the participants in Kilitbahir give more importance to the structural, visual and economic criteria when purchasing housing than the criteria related to social, historical and tourism issues. Moreover, depending on the level of education and age, there is an awareness of registered and traditional houses in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territoriality is a common pattern of space use in animals that has fundamental consequences for ecological processes. In the tropics, all-year resident songbirds usually hold territories throughout the year, whereas most all-year resident temperate species are territorial only during the breeding season. In long-distance migrants, however, the situation is mostly unexplored. Here, we report findings from a Palaearctic–African migrant, the thrush nightingale Luscinia luscina. We found that only a fraction of the males was territorial in their East African winter quarters and that this was related to the stage of their song development. Individuals with full song were territorial towards other full songsters, but not towards birds that sang plastic song (i.e. an earlier stage of song development). Plastic singers were not territorial towards full songsters and often settled closely to territorial males. We suggest that territoriality of thrush nightingales in the winter quarters may be a by-product of rising testosterone levels that trigger song crystallization. Collectively, our study indicates that changes in territoriality can occur rapidly, giving rise to shifting proportions of territorial and non-territorial individuals in a population, which may lead to complex dynamics in settlement patterns and resulting ecological interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial conflict, including parent–offspring conflict (POC) and sibling competition (SC), occurs when an individual maximizes its access to a limiting resource at the expense of a related individual. The role of familial conflict for competition over space as a limited resource remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we examined how familial conflict affects natal dispersal and settlement decisions of a solitary mammal, the brown bear, Ursus arctos , and tested whether these settlement patterns covary with fitness. First, we tested whether the distance settled from the natal range was affected by aspects of POC (litter type: single versus multiple; mother's age; mother's living status) and SC (settled near versus far from the natal home range, body size). We then modelled how distance settled from the natal range influenced three measures of fitness: survival to reproduction, lifetime reproductive success and lifetime survival. In line with POC, we found that daughters settled twice as far from the natal range when their mother was alive than when she was dead. We found strong evidence for SC where in sibling pairs, the 'near' sister settled nearly three times closer to the natal range than her sibling. We found contradictory patterns in fitness outcomes based on settlement distance, such that females settling closer to the natal range had higher lifetime survival but were less likely to successfully wean at least one offspring. Despite survival advantages gained by settling closer to the natal range, there was no evidence that settlement distance influenced lifetime reproductive success. Fitness outcomes in this population may be influenced more by factors related to annual hunting than by familial conflict or proximity to the natal range. • Differences in settlement patterns of female bears suggest parent-offspring conflict. • Larger siblings settle closer to the natal range, a sign of sibling competition. • Female brown bears settling closer to the natal range have higher lifetime survival. • Annual harvest may disrupt fitness patterns in brown bears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assuming a non-neutral impact of space, an explicit assessment of metropolitan hierarchies based on local regression models produces a refined description of population settlement patterns and processes over time. We used Geographically Weighted Regressions (GWR) to provide an enriched interpretation of the density gradient in Greece, estimating a spatially explicit rank–size relationship inspired by Zipf's law. The empirical results of the GWR models quantified the adherence of real data (municipal population density as a predictor of metropolitan hierarchy) to the operational assumptions of the rank–size relationship. Local deviations from its prediction were explained considering the peculiarity of the metropolitan cycle (1961–2011) in the country. Although preliminary and exploratory, these findings decomposed representative population dynamics in two stages of the cycle (namely urbanization, 1961–1991, and suburbanization, 1991–2011). Being in line with earlier studies, this timing allowed a geographical interpretation of the evolution of a particularly complex metropolitan system with intense (urban) primacy and a weak level of rural development over a sufficiently long time interval. Introducing a spatially explicit estimation of the rank–size relationship at detailed territorial resolutions provided an original contribution to regional science, covering broad geographical scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homestead reconstruction is one of the most effective means to govern rural planning. Traditional research cannot fully consider the individual differences of rural homesteads, easily leading to uneven spatial development, and even social and economic problems. In this study, a novel framework of rural settlement was reconstructed to integrate the land suitability and reconstruction urgency of rural homesteads. The individual differences were considered in the rural homesteads using a questionnaire survey in Pingba Village, Chongqing City, in southwest China. This framework combined the differentiated characteristics of rural homesteads, in terms of the concentration ratio, utilization status, livelihood, travel convenience, and willingness to relocate. A comprehensive evaluation index was established to divide the rural homesteads into different reconstruction types. Participatory rural assessment (PRA) was selected to conduct the questionnaire survey in all 292 peasant households living in the study area. The results show that: 1) more than half of the rural settlements were distributed in the highsuitability areas before reconstruction. A trend of agglomeration was found under the complex terrain and location conditions in the mountainous areas. 2) The scale of rural homesteads were expanded three times that need to be optimized in the study area after considering individual differences, compared with only land suitability. The newly added rural homesteads shared the land suitability, but there was low utilization or a conflict between the expected production output and lifestyle. 143 rural homesteads were then determined to be optimized using reconstruction, according to their own utilization problems. The obstacles of these homesteads were identified, in terms of the utilization status, travel convenience, and concentration ratio. 3) The land suitability and individual needs were comprehensively considered to divide into five types: the retained, locally rebuilt, integrated, production-, and travel-based relocated homestead. The proportions of the five types of homesteads were 34.79%, 22.89%, 9.04%, 16.94%, and 16.34%, respectively. Furthermore, the types were varied in the different reconstruction needs. Among them, the retained homesteads were the fundamental reconstruction. Production- and travel-based relocated homesteads needed to be optimized and reconstructed after relocation. 4) The five types of homesteads constituted of three optimization modes: relocation, integration, and space replacement. The new spatial pattern of rural settlements was established after rebuilding, relocating, and replacing the five types. Finally, 10.34 hm² of construction land resources were saved after optimization, which was far greater than the amount of the conserved when considering only the land suitability. The integration and replacement modes were added to produce the more complex reconstruction of rural homesteads within the village, compared with the simple demolition and relocation. The rural homesteads were shifted from areas of low or no suitability into high ones, indicating the increasing number. Therefore, the larger scale of rural homesteads in the regions with the higher suitability was conducive to the realization of a new pattern with the moderately centralized residency in the mountainous villages. The reconstruction significantly improved the level of agricultural suitability in the rural homesteads, fully meeting the differentiated needs of farmers for utilization. The finding can provide a new perspective on rural planning and space governance. An exploratory tool can be expected for rural space optimization, considering the influence of individual differences in the rural homesteads on the rural reconstruction plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alluvial floodplains were one of the major venues of the development and long-term transformation of urban agrarian-based societies. The historical relationship between human societies and riverine environments created a rich archaeological record, but it is one that is not always easy to access due to the dynamism of alluvial floodplains and the geomorphological processes driven their hydrological regimes. Alluvial floodplains are also targeted for urban and agricultural expansion, which both have the potential to pose threats to cultural heritage and the environment if not carefully managed. Analysis that combines Historical Cartography and Remote Sensing sources to identify potential archaeological sites and river palaeochannels is an important first step towards the reconstruction of settlement patterns in different historical periods and their relationship to the history of hydrological networks. We are able to use different computational methods to great effect, including algorithms to enhance the visualization of different features of the landscape; and for processing large quantity of data using Machine-Learning based methods. Here we integrate those methods for the first time in a single study case: a section of the Indus River basin. Using a combined approach, it has been possible to map the historical hydrological network in a detail never achieved before and identify hundreds of potential archaeological sites previously unknown. Discussing these datasets together, we address the interpretation of the archaeological record, and highlight how Remote Sensing approaches can inform future research, heritage documentation, management, and preservation. The paper concludes with a targeted analysis of our datasets in the light of previous field-based research in order to provide preliminary insights on how long-term processes might have re-worked historical landscapes and their potential implications for the study of settlement patterns in different Historical periods in this region, thereby highlighting the potential for such integrated approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether a forced displacement of an ethnic group can lead to long-run changes to their spatial distribution and whether this shock can also lead to changes in where new migrants settle. I use the Canadian government's internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, as well as their post-war forced resettlement, as a natural experiment. I find that the policy led to dramatic resettlement patterns; areas where Japanese Canadians were removed from had far fewer Japanese Canadians after World War II, with this effect persisting for decades. Despite these displacement patterns, I find that both the pre-war and post-war settlement patterns drive where new Japanese migrants settle within Canada, suggesting that the disruption of the connections and networks formed by Japanese migrants before World War II were not fully dismantled by the Canadian government's wartime policies. Reinforcing this mechanism, I show using Facebook's social connectedness data that Japanese population shares from both 1931 and 1951 predict whether a Canadian Census Division is more socially connected with Japan today. The results from this paper show that, despite Canada's forced dispersal of its Japanese population across the country, networks and forces that connect Census Divisions to Japan and draw in new migrants continued to persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive urbanization is considered to be one of the causes of population density that eventually triggers the creation of slums in a city. Slums are synonymous with poverty, crime, low education, and lack of infrastructure, making the area segregated from the formal urban space. Settlement communities have difficulty accessing facilities in the formal urban space. This study aims to formulate the elements that form the integration of slum areas. The method used is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The four stages in this SLR method are (1) identification; (2) screening; (3) eligibility; and (4) inclusion. A total of 62 articles were reviewed in this study. The results of this study are nineteen elements that form the integration of slum areas seen from physical and socio-economic aspects. If physical aspects include road network, accessibility, distance, public transportation, visual, public open space, periphery, settlement pattern, infrastructure, topography, and orientation, the socio-economic ones refer to local wisdom, background, social networks, types of activities, community empowerment, the sense of belonging, economic networks, and local economic empowerment. It is presumed that the results of this study can be used as guidelines for structuring slums so that they do not become marginalized areas or separate from formal urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal distribution of settlements and their environmental context since the Neolithic is one of the vital components for exploring past changes in human-land relations. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the evolution of the social organization, settlement patterns, and the corresponding environmental settings. In this study, the spatiotemporal distribution and rank-size of settlements revealed crucial aspects of the hydrogeomorphic conditions, cultural inheritance, and social evolution in northern Shandong Province based on the GIS analytical methods. The prehistoric settlements were primarily distributed in the pre-mountain plains and low mountain hills due to the change of water volume of big rivers and sea level fluctuations until the expansion to the northern plains during the Longshan period. Determined cultural sequences were demonstrated to be accompanied by different settlement development patterns. Most settlements in an older period were abandoned in the subsequently younger period except the Shang-Zhou period, indicating poor inheritance. The emergence of a middle and high-rank regional settlement system in the Dawenkou-Longshan period suggests a fundamental change in social organization, reflecting the transition from complex chiefdoms to early city-state kingdoms. Such a regional social stratification was intensified during the Shang-Zhou periods when a four-tier settlement system emerged. In addition, the solid cultural importation from the Dawenkou-Longshan period to the central and southern regions brought about the exchange and advancement of production technologies, which once established a solid position in agriculture. However, this was broken by drought and cold climatic events, and the complexity of the Yueshi cultural settlement system that subsequently emerged was substantially weakened. As an important area of Haidai culture, the natural driving force and social organization of ancient culture development from the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age are of great significance for understanding the interrelationship between the origin and process of Chinese civilization and environmental evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines artifact production using lithic, animal bone, and shell materials at the lowland Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, to explore the emergence and societal role of early crafting specialists. During the Middle Preclassic period (1000–350 b.c.), ancient Maya society went through a critical transition to sedentary settlements, including the development of large-scale monumental construction endeavors for ceremonial activities, increasingly nucleated settlement patterns, and the differential control of prestigious objects. Excavations across Ceibal recovered one of the largest Middle Preclassic assemblages of lithic and faunal material to date. We examine these materials in order to understand the nature of their manufacturing processes, the association between lithic production and bone/shell processing for meat and artifact production, and compare these activities with evidence from other Middle Preclassic sites and from the later Classic period. We find that Middle Preclassic middens are often disturbed or incorporated into later construction episodes over many generations, making the identification of such activities difficult, although not impossible, to identify archaeologically. Evidence for crafting is often found near ceremonial structures where Ceibal's early elite would have been present, suggesting that they were closely involved in the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit the GEOSTAT 2011 population grid with a very high 1 km2 resolution to document that Spain presents the lowest density of settlements among European countries. Only a small fraction of the Spanish territory is inhabited, particularly in its southern half, which goes hand in hand with a high degree of population concentration. We uncover through standard regression analysis and spatial regression discontinuity that this anomaly cannot be accounted for by adverse geographic and climatic conditions. The second part of the paper takes a historical perspective on Spain's settlement patterns by showing that the spatial distribution of the population has been very persistent in the last two centuries, and that the abnormally low density of settlements with respect to European neighbors was already visible in the 19th century, which indicates that this phenomenon has not emerged recently as a consequence of the transformations associated with industrialization and tertiarization. Using data on ancient sites, we find that Spain did not feature scarcity of settlements in comparison to other countries in premedieval times, suggesting that its current anomalous settlement pattern has not always existed and is, therefore, not intrinsic to its geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 300 BC to AD 300, the city of Pergamon underwent a profound transformation that impacted the rural settlement patterns and the concomitant geomorphodynamics. We present a geoarchaeological study in a long-term settled catchment in the Pergamon micro-region to disentangle the Holocene geomorphodynamics and triggering factors, for example, climate change and human activity. The analyses of eight radiocarbon-dated sediment profiles from the Tekkedere alluvial fan and its catchment indicate four principal sedimentation phases. Phase 1 (ca. 6.2 to 5–4 ka) is dominated by the floodplain aggradation of the receiving Bakırçay River, which is followed by the formation of floodplain soils (phase 2). Substantial geomorphodynamic changes occurred around 4 ka (phase 3), when the edge of the floodplain was buried by fan sediments of the tributary Tekkedere creek. This is attributed to supraregional aridization and rapid climate change events, superimposed by the onset of local human activities. Repeated cycles of coarse- and fine-textured fan sediments with age inversions after ca. 3.8 ka and valley infills younger than 1300 yr BP indicate the strong erosion and redeposition of sediments in phase 4. These increased geomorphodynamics may coincide with the changing settlement pattern and thus reflect human–environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesolithic in Eastern Europe was the last time that hunter-gatherer economies thrived there before the spread of agriculture in the second half of the seventh millennium BC. But the period, and the interactions between foragers and the first farmers, are poorly understood in the Carpathian Basin and surrounding areas because few sites are known, and even fewer have been excavated and published. How did site location differ between Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlers? And where should we look for rare Mesolithic sites? Proximity analysis is seldom used for predictive modeling for hunter-gatherer sites at large scales, but in this paper, we argue that it can serve as an important starting point for prospection for rare and poorly understood sites. This study uses proximity analysis to provide quantitative landscape associations of known Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Carpathian Basin to show how Mesolithic people chose attributes of the landscape for camps, and how they differed from the farmers who later settled. We use elevation and slope, rivers, wetlands prior to the twentieth century, and the distribution of lithic raw materials foragers and farmers used for toolmaking to identify key proxies for preferred locations. We then build predictive models for the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic in the Pannonian region to highlight parts of the landscape that have relatively higher probabilities of having Mesolithic sites still undiscovered and contrast them with the settlement patterns of the first farmers in the area. We find that large parts of Pannonia conform to landforms preferred by Mesolithic foragers, but these areas have not been subject to investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous groups in the American South relied on local resources including adapted neo-tropical and regionally domesticated crops and native fauna. Arrival of missionaries and non-native animal species (chickens, pigs, and cattle) led to changing subsistence strategies and settlement patterns. The mission communities needed to be self-sustaining and generate surpluses to supply the capital of La Florida (St. Augustine). Zooarchaeological data from sites in La Florida show how mission communities adopted these animals into their subsistence systems. Data shows adoption of domesticates varied across the provinces, and some food items became profitable market commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water wells are very important in the history of human development. The identification of spatiotemporal patterns of ancient water wells is a key to understanding the relationship between ancients and water, the evolution of ancient settlement patterns, and the history of population migration. However, at present, there are few reports to quantitatively explore the spatiotemporal evolution of ancient water wells from the perspective of geography. There is still a knowledge gap. Therefore, we show that a spatiotemporal kernel density estimation (STKDE) model and the centre-of-gravity method are useful for studying the spatiotemporal evolution of ancient water wells over the past 3,000 years in Zhejiang Province of southern China. The results show that in the past 3,000 years, the ancient water wells there have experienced an evolution from 'single-core' to 'multicore' aggregation, and the scope has gradually shifted from northern Zhejiang to southern Zhejiang. In addition, Hangzhou, Shangyu and ChunAn have always been aggregation centres. Socioeconomic factors, political and social stability, natural environmental conditions, population density and technological progress are the most important variables associated with water well 'hot spots' in time and space. This article provides a new perspective for the study of ancient water wells and fills the knowledge gap in understanding the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of ancient water wells and other point or line features in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]