GEOGRAPHICAL MODELING FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY: TWO CASE STUDIES

This paper explores the role of mathematical models in archaeology and history. Variants of a particular model — an entropy-maximizing spatial interaction model which also functions as a location model — are presented through two case studies. The first is an example from Archaeology which throws light on settlement sizes in the 9th and 8th century BC Greece; the second is from History and explores the evolution of the United States' urban system from 1790–1870 with particular reference to the impact of railways. The approach is essentially interdisciplinary and uses concepts from Geography, Economics, Physics and Ecology.