Spatial trends of past occupation sites in southwestern part of Kanto region in Jomon Period, Japan: -Multivariate analyses of natural environmental factors-

Abstract

It is inferred that spatial trend of Jomon occupation sites was largely affected by various and mixed environmental factors such as elevation, slope, land aspect, solar radiation and subsurface geology. In order to identify the most influential factors in selecting occupation sites, we conducted a GIS and univariate analyses of the location of archaeological sites in the Southwestern Kanto region. Then, we used a general linear model and a standardized partial regression coefficient analysis to investigate the relative importance of each environmental factor. As a result, we confirmed that the Jomon sites were distributed on uplands or gradual hills 7 to 21% more than expected by chance. Previously, solar radiation, slope and aspect of lands, that were thought to be main factors for site selection, but we revealed that the Loam layer in subsurface geology (distributed on upland and gradual hill) was the most important factor.