GIS-based landform classification of settlements in the Pantelis Valley (Sitia, Crete): A MEANS to assess water management between the Classical and the Venetian periods

Abstract

"This paper details some results of the research programme Spatial Dynamics and Settlement Patterns in Eastern Crete from the Classical to the Venetian Period (SettleInEastCrete), considering the settlement patterns of Eastern Crete from the Classical to the Venetian period. The area of study is the region of Sitia, in the northern part of far Eastern Crete, and specifically the Pantelis valley, where a river flows towards the north coast. The main objective considered here is to understand how and in what way local topography (altitude, access to water resources and arable lands) influenced human behaviour in terms of settlements habitation throughout ancient times. From amongst these topographical features, we aim to extract information about the interrelationships between water resources and the proximity of settlements. Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques are employed to discriminate between the landform types and derive geomorphometric information for landscape characterisation. Using these geographical analyses, the final goal is to reveal the reasons for the distribution of sites in the hinterland of the Sitia gulf and their interaction with water resources management, so as to place archaeological data within its physical environment."