Further refinement of the formulae for determining population from floor area

World Archaeology • Vol/Iss. 6(1) • Routledge • Abingdon • Published In • Pages: 117-122 •
By Basselberry, Samuel E.

Abstract

This short article argues that formulae utilized by archeologists for deriving populations from the floor areas of dwellings are flawed. The formulae in question are that of Naroll (1962), Clarke (1971), and Cook (1972) and he argues that each of these is either incorrect or simply too narrow or too broad. The author then puts forth his own formula for multifamily dwellings which he tests against a dataset of nine New World ethnographic examples. Finally, the author concludes that this type of formula needs to change depending on the type of dwelling in question.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Unique sample 9 nine New World populationsin this dataset there are only 8 societies represented, however two populations of one society (the Jivaro) are included

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Populations will be accurately predicted by floor area in multifamily dwellings using the formula population=1/6(floor area)Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: dmccloskey103  anj.droe