Using a GIS to identifying early-medieval coastal market sites in the UK

Principal investigator: Liam
Level: Masters degree

Using a GIS to identifying early-medieval coastal market sites in the UK

I am taking a master’s degree in Applied Geographical Information Systems at Kingston University. As part of my course I need to produce a research project showing how GIS technology and spatial analysis techniques can be applied to a real world situation. I have an interest in British history and archaeology and believe that your extensive database of finds would be a great source of information to perform spatial analysis and GIS work on. Having read through the research section of your website and have found that an area currently requiring research is identifying early-medieval coastal market sites in the UK. This is a problem that is well suited to a GIS and the requirements of my research project.

Project Proposal:

The PAS database of finds could be categorised, sorted and located onto a map of the UK. Then GIS could be applied to two different areas:

1) Spatial analysis techniques could be used to determine whether the finds are clustered or not and then if this clustering is random or not. From these spatial analysis results it may be possible to say whether there may have been a productive site coastal market site at this location in the early-medieval period.

2) The distribution different types of finds could be analysed to see if there is any pattern between those found inland and those found on the coast. This could explain whether any activity is happening at the productive landfall sites or whether some goods are being transported inland to bigger cities. For the purpose of my masters report I would more than likely focus on area 1 above, although follow on questions and analysis could be proposed for area 2 based on the results gained.

Audit data

• Created: 13 years ago
• Created by: D P