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Comparative Archaeology Database, University of Pittsburgh
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Zingeyka River Valley Settlement Dataset |
The data files POPULATION.TXT and POPULATION.XLS outline the steps in converting the area-density indexes into absolute population estimates for each collection unit. The information presented here clarifies and expands on the information provided in Table 10 of the dissertation associated with this dataset. Chapter 2 of the same dissertation provides additional details about these calculations, as well as how the conversion factors of 151 and 225, used to estimate minimum and maximum population ranges (used in variables 3, 4, 6 and 7 below) were arrived at. Although collections 1, 2, 4, 17 and 24 yielded positive area-density index values, they produced only 1 MBA sherd from shovel probes each. Therefore, it was assumed no people lived at those locations during the MBA, and thus the values associated with population estimates were substituted for n/a in those cases.
POPULATION.TXT is a comma delimited ASCII text file; POPULATION.XLS contains the same data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Each line shows the calculations for every surface collection unit. There are 26 lines, each with 7 variables separated by commas. The variables are listed in the following order:
| 1 | Collection unit number. These correspond to the ID numbers provided in the COLL_NUMBERS layer of the Map of Collection Units page of this dataset. |
| 2 | MBA area-density index divided by the number of centuries of the MBA (variable 32 from the Calculation of area-density indexes page of this dataset). |
| 3 | Minimum MBA population based on a factor of 151 (variable 2 multiplied by 151). |
| 4 | Maximum MBA population based on a factor of 225 (variable 2 multiplied by 225). |
| 5 | LBA area-density index divided by the number of centuries of the LBA (variable 34 from the Calculation of area-density indexes page of this dataset). |
| 6 | Minimum LBA population based on a factor of 151 (variable 5 multiplied by 151. |
| 7 | Maximum LBA population based on afactor of 225 (variable 5 multiplied by 225). |
The first line of the ASCII text file, for example, looks like this:
1,0.017,n/a,n/a,0.408,62,92
This means that for collection unit 1, the MBA area-density index (area*density / number of centuries in the MBA period) was 0.017. This collection unit produced 1 MBA sherd, so no minimum or maximum populations for this period were generated. The LBA area-density index (area*density / number of centuries in the LBA period) was 0.408. The minimum number of people that occupied this collection unit in the LBA period was 62, while the maximum was 92.
The last, or 26th line of the ASCII text file is:
29,0.000,0,0,1.910,288,430
This means that for collection unit 29, the MBA area-density index (area*density / number of centuries in the MBA period) was 0. The LBA area-density index (area*density / number of centuries in the LBA period) was 1.91. The minimum number of people that occupied this collection unit in the LBA period was 288, while the maximum was 430.
Download the file POPULATION.TXT (2 KB) or the file POPULATION.XLS (23 KB).