Territorial analyses in archaeology: visual perception and accessibility of the environment

Abstract

This paper focuses on viewshed studies in Archaeology. The aim is to contribute to the improvement of the methodological approaches to visibility in Antiquity. Although the examples are based on Iberian Iron Age archaeological sites, the methodology can be applied to other contexts and periods too. In particular, viewshed calculation and accessibility map have been overlapped, in order to get an approach less rigid than usual. Viewshed studies in Archaeology are done through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Although the computerized viewshed has been sometimes considered as the best contribution of GIS to landscape studies, many authors have called attention to several critical points. Some of those ideas are also mentioned here.