A review of case studies in archaeological least-cost analysis

The application of least-cost analysis (LCA) in archaeology has considerably increased in recent years. Modern Geographical Information Systems provide the tools for generating least-cost site catchments, least-cost paths and route networks as well as accessibility maps. Recently, published case studies present LCA results for very different time periods and parts of the world. Consequently, it seems that the technology for generating these results is readily available and reliable. However, the quality of the LCA outcome depends on the accuracy and the resolution of the geographical data used, and on the cost model itself. Varying the parameters of the cost model allows assessing the stability of the modelled catchments, routes or accessibility maps. Without validation, the LCA results remain exploratory and should not be used as a basis for building an even more complex model. The technical aspects of the case studies considered will be discussed with respect to these issues