Building Databases for the Generation of Archeological Landscape Models in Santa Catarina (Brazil)

Abstract

In this study we investigate the biases that affect the database of the archaeological record for certain areas of the state of Santa Catarina (Brazil). For this purpose, we describe the development of a project aimed to identify archaeological sites, which allowed the analysis of the main biases that affect the construction of reliable archaeological information regarding the distribution of archaeological sites. These major biases include destruction of sites, lack of systematic surveys, and duplicate, incomplete, or erroneous records. Beyond these problems, the identification of the different sources of error becomes an essential source of information to model archaeological landscapes in a more prudent way, considering the potential biases in the distribution of the known record.