ABSTRACT
Chapter 10 moves away from the study of individual sites, artifacts, and food remains into changing ancient settlement patterns. We examine the hierarchy of human settlement from individual sites to entire regions and discuss some of the methods used to study them, including geographic information systems aerial photography. Landscapes are distinct from settlement patterns, for they are humanly perceived and change constantly through time. LiDAR and other new methods are revolutionizing our understanding of ancient landscapes, notably in Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia. We discuss ways in which archaeologists study sacred and secular landscapes in a search for the intangible beliefs of ancient societies.
