Abstract

This paper examines a dynamic approach to initiating settlement pattern analyses of the Princess Point Complex in southern Ontario, dating to circa AD 500 to 1000. This approach employs a GIS to model decision-making over space and time to determine cultural preferences for site selection. The dynamic model combines content and context; using measurable variables from sites and surveys, and behavioural variables associated with the cultural perception of site (place) and non-site (space) landscapes. The preliminary results of the project will be discussed together with an exploration of the relationship between environmental perception and site location.