A Hierarchical Model of Scale Levels for Estimations of Population Densities

Understanding historical processes in large areas can prove to be a difficult task, especially since it is impossible to excavate or survey these in their entirety. In this paper, a method is presented by which small scale data can be transformed into a larger scale incorporating a rural landscape. The theoretical model is described and explained with a practical example in which the population density at the time of the Linear Pottery Culture is estimated. After the analysis of key areas, settlement areas in the Rhineland are defined on the basis of archaeological sites. Through upscaling, a population density of 0.42 inhabitants per square kilometre is calculated.