MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEOLITHIC SITES AND THE RIVERS IN XI'AN (SHAANXI PROVINCE, CHINA)

• Published in: Archaeometry 2007-11, Vol.49 (4), p.765-773
• Main Authors: ZHANG, H.-Q., ZHAO, W.-M., LIU, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Generalities; HUMAN-LAND RELATIONSHIP; MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS; NEOLITHIC SITES; Organisation and history of research; Prehistory and protohistory; SPSS
• ISSN: 0003-813X; 1475-4754
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2007.00334.x

Based on analyses of the ecological environments of the Neolithic sites along the Chan and Ba Rivers in the Xi’an area (Shaanxi Province, China), it was found that the characteristic factors of the sites had a very close relationship with the nearby river. The characteristic factors of Neolithic sites have been analysed and defined as mathematical parameters by statistical methods. A mathematical model of the human–land relationship between Neolithic sites and rivers has been established using the stepwise regression procedure REGRESS in SPSS®. The mathematical model is Y = 496.153 – 4.833X1 + 113.692X3 + 725.097X5 – 27.683X3X4. It shows that the distance (Y) from a site to a river has a marked relationship with the site area (X1), the river flux (X3), the site location (X5) and river ratio drop (X4). The model shows that the relationship between the sites and the river is in accordance with the conclusions of archaeological research. The mathematical model not only offers theoretical guidance for the archaeological excavation of Neolithic sites in Xi’an, but also contributes to the archaeological environmental research of Xi’an Neolithic sites.