Rank-Size Distributions and the Analysis of Prehistoric Settlement Systems

Abstract

Geographers have noted and developed explanations for the regularities observed in the relationship between settlement size and settlement rank. Archaeologists have only recently begun to assess and explain prehistoric settlement data in terms of these rank-size distributions. This paper examines those aspects of the rank-size distribution model which may be useful to prehistorians, and presents an analysis of three sets of archaeological settlement data. The results suggest that rank-size distributions may not possess the explanatory value attributed to them by some archaeologists in terms of their power to discriminate between various levels of sociocultural organization. Rank-size distributions do have value in archaeology, but more comparative data are needed before they can be adequately interpreted.