Damien Campbell-Bell

An Analysis of the Validity of Visuospatial Approaches to Landscape Archaeology

Supervisor: Dr. David Wheatley

Abstract:

Landscape archaeology makes extensive use of visuospatial approaches, ranging from field observation to GIS analysis. An inherent palaeopsychological problem of these approaches is whether we can see the landscape in the same way as past peoples, who lived in different cultures. This issue has been raised by a number of archaeologists, but not properly addressed. This potential perceptual gap exists in all aspects of archaeology, but its scale has never been quantified. Through the application of perceptual theory and ecological perceptual experiments this research aims to quantify this gap and assess the validity of current archaeological approaches to landscape.

Email: dacb106@soton.ac.uk