Integrated Prospection Methods to Define Small-site Settlement Structure: a Case Study from Neolithic Hungary

Different human activities produce different material signatures, and therefore integrating several complementary prospection data sets provides a more comprehensive picture of site structure than any one method. We combine magnetic prospection data with soil chemistry and surface collection data from two small late Neolithic (ca. 5000 bc) settlements in eastern Hungary. Magnetic gradiometer survey helps to define basic subsurface features. Semi-quantitative soil phosphate analysis improves our understanding of vertical and horizontal settlement boundaries and the locations of some activity zones. Through the surface distribution of burnt daub and pottery, controlled surface collection aids in our interpretations of structure and preservation at these settlements, as well as providing dating evidence. Spatial analysis, including the interpolation of chemical data, is performed in a geographical information system. Results indicate two different settlement types at contemporaneous sites, and suggest excellent preservation for site types that are poorly understood, relatively rare and generally poorly preserved in the archaeological record of eastern Hungary. In addition, this work provides the first comprehensive depiction of spatial organization at small late Neolithic settlements in the region. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.