From mess to matrix and beyond: Estimating the size of settlements in the Ptolemaic Fayum/Egypt

Katja Mueller; William Lee

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007

From mess to matrix and beyond: Estimating the size of settlements in the Ptolemaic Fayum/Egypt

Katja Mueller, William Lee

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article seeks to introduce a new methodological approach to estimate population size of settlements in the Graeco-Roman Fayum/Egypt (330 BC-400 AD). The aim is to represent and analyse the relationship of settlements and the facilities they provide. We suggest turning the information commonly contained in traditional site gazetteers into presence-absence matrices of selected facilities. We then use these facility matrices to estimate the size of ancient settlements through linear regression. The equation is initially tested on medieval settlements in Norwich and East Anglia (England) and later applied to a settlement-facility matrix for the Ptolemaic period (330-30 BC). The results from the medieval data show the validity of the approach with a complete data set. The circumstance that the Ptolemaic data is fragmented and incomplete naturally adds a small, but acceptable error to the estimates.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	59-67
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science
Volume	32
Issue number	1
Early online date	11 Sep 2004
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2005
Externally published	Yes

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

@article{78c63756822c4f2388ae88be4376e6fc,

title = "From mess to matrix and beyond: Estimating the size of settlements in the Ptolemaic Fayum/Egypt",

abstract = "This article seeks to introduce a new methodological approach to estimate population size of settlements in the Graeco-Roman Fayum/Egypt (330 BC-400 AD). The aim is to represent and analyse the relationship of settlements and the facilities they provide. We suggest turning the information commonly contained in traditional site gazetteers into presence-absence matrices of selected facilities. We then use these facility matrices to estimate the size of ancient settlements through linear regression. The equation is initially tested on medieval settlements in Norwich and East Anglia (England) and later applied to a settlement-facility matrix for the Ptolemaic period (330-30 BC). The results from the medieval data show the validity of the approach with a complete data set. The circumstance that the Ptolemaic data is fragmented and incomplete naturally adds a small, but acceptable error to the estimates.",

keywords = "Facilities, Fayum, Medieval cities, Presence-absence matrix, Ptolemaic-Roman Egypt, Regression analysis, Settlement size",

author = "Katja Mueller and William Lee",

year = "2005",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007",

language = "English",

volume = "32",

pages = "59--67",

journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science",

issn = "0305-4403",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - From mess to matrix and beyond

T2 - Estimating the size of settlements in the Ptolemaic Fayum/Egypt

AU - Mueller, Katja

AU - Lee, William

PY - 2005/1/1

Y1 - 2005/1/1

N2 - This article seeks to introduce a new methodological approach to estimate population size of settlements in the Graeco-Roman Fayum/Egypt (330 BC-400 AD). The aim is to represent and analyse the relationship of settlements and the facilities they provide. We suggest turning the information commonly contained in traditional site gazetteers into presence-absence matrices of selected facilities. We then use these facility matrices to estimate the size of ancient settlements through linear regression. The equation is initially tested on medieval settlements in Norwich and East Anglia (England) and later applied to a settlement-facility matrix for the Ptolemaic period (330-30 BC). The results from the medieval data show the validity of the approach with a complete data set. The circumstance that the Ptolemaic data is fragmented and incomplete naturally adds a small, but acceptable error to the estimates.

AB - This article seeks to introduce a new methodological approach to estimate population size of settlements in the Graeco-Roman Fayum/Egypt (330 BC-400 AD). The aim is to represent and analyse the relationship of settlements and the facilities they provide. We suggest turning the information commonly contained in traditional site gazetteers into presence-absence matrices of selected facilities. We then use these facility matrices to estimate the size of ancient settlements through linear regression. The equation is initially tested on medieval settlements in Norwich and East Anglia (England) and later applied to a settlement-facility matrix for the Ptolemaic period (330-30 BC). The results from the medieval data show the validity of the approach with a complete data set. The circumstance that the Ptolemaic data is fragmented and incomplete naturally adds a small, but acceptable error to the estimates.

KW - Facilities

KW - Fayum

KW - Medieval cities

KW - Presence-absence matrix

KW - Ptolemaic-Roman Egypt

KW - Regression analysis

KW - Settlement size

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=10244270676&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007

DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2004.06.007

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:10244270676

VL - 32

SP - 59

EP - 67

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science

SN - 0305-4403

IS - 1

ER -

From mess to matrix and beyond: Estimating the size of settlements in the Ptolemaic Fayum/Egypt

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this