A geographic analysis of Roman (64 B.C.E.--324 C.E.) and Umayyad (640--750 C.E.) period site locations on the Karak Plateau, Jordan

Site locations that provided essential geophysical resources including natural water sources, rock outcrops, arable land and a topographical regime that facilitated site drainage and water harvesting along with a strategic view of the surrounding area were available in limited number and widely distributed on the Karak Plateau, Jordan. As a result of competition for sites with access to these important resources, ancient site to resource spatial relationships are expected to have changed with changes in site density.; Surveys conducted on the Karak Plateau, Jordan have reported a five-fold decrease in the number of sites during the Umayyad phase of the Early Islamic period (640–750 C.E.) when compared to the number of sites during the earlier Roman period (64 B.C.E.–324 C.E.). This project used the change in site density between the two periods to analyze the impact that site density had on the spatial relationships between sites and resources.; Logistical challenges along with the cost to collect the information required to produce a regional-scale resource map through traditional field surveys are prohibitive. To overcome this obstacle, this project identified and mapped the critical geologic resources using satellite data (Remote Sensing). A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to integrate the site, geologic and other resource data. The data was used to measure the statistical significance of the site to resource relationships and the significance of the differences in those relationships as site density changed.; Sites from both periods demonstrated a preference for the same slope and aspect environment. The relationships between sites and rock outcrops, ridge locations and agriculturally suitable soils were statistically significant in both periods. During the less densely populated Umayyad period, site location decisions were dominated by the nearest rock outcrop relationship.