Spatial analysis of hillfort locations in the Chełmno Land (Poland) using digital terrain analysis and stochastic data exploration

Abstract

The location of hillforts is an extremely important issue in terms of understanding the functioning of the Middle Ages community. The multifaceted nature of hillfort localization factors requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this study we propose a methodology based on a detailed digital terrain analysis and the application of a predictive modelling procedure. The delineated terrain indices and present day landuse information allow for a characterization of hillfort locations in terms of strategic, climatic, and water related aspects. The study area is covering the Chełmno Landscape east of Bydgoszcz, Poland, where in total 59 settlements are known. We used the Maximum Entropy Model which defines the predictive power of the above mentioned topographic and environmental indicators to derive the spatial distribution of hillfort location suitability. The results show that morphometric and hydrological factors have the highest impact on the probability to be a location of settlement. Climatic and strategic factors were less important. Furthermore, we illustrate that there are distinct differences in the topographic and environmental characteristics between early and late medieval hillforts. These differences indicate changes in the functional type of settlements as a result of population growth. Generally, our study shows that site characteristics strongly influences the spatial distribution of hillfort locations.