Article: « Exploring New Method on Spatial Analysis of Earthen Building: a Combination of Statistical Analysis and Soil Micromorphology » (2021)

Mylona P.,Vigne J-D., Wattez J. (2021), Exploring a New Spatial Analysis Method for Earthen Buildings: a Combination of Statistical Analysis and Soil Micromorphology, in Amadio M. (ed.) Archaeology in the smallest realm. Micro analyses and methods for the reconstruction of Cyprus early societies, ARTEMIDE, Roma, p. 15-31.

Abstract

Soil micromorphology constitutes an important tool forthe use of space analysis in earthen architecturesby using different indicators, among them a variety of inclusions. The abundance of inclusions in micro-units is based on a semi-quantitative,relatively subjective,approach. This paper aims to present a first approach of an experimental statistical analysis of quantitative data of some inclusionsthat point to food preparation and consumption. It uses the communal building St10 at the PPNA site of Klimonas in Cyprus as a case study in order to test this approach. Semi-quantitative data of inclusions collected during micromorphological analysis of thin sections are analyzed using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and compared with micromorphological interpretations. A new method based on the counting of inclusions is also analyzed by LDA and compared to micromorphological results in order to test whether statistical analysis of selected inclusions can reflect the same use of space during the occupation of the St10.

Keywords: soil micromorphology, statistics, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Neolithic, earthen architecture