The use of GIS to understand the exchange systems in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: circulation maps, a new approach to cost surface analysis

Abstract

In the last years cost surface analysis became part of exchange system studies. The basic problem with this GIS methodology is that the principles of analysis are based in modern economic theory and in the concept of economic rationality. This kind of analysis doesn’t consider the social aspect of landscape. In my PhD dissertation, I considered a new approach to cost surface analysis based in social and physical cost raster. This cultural cost surface map was added with archaeological distribution maps. The final result I named as circulation maps.