Population Estimates from Settlement Area and Number of Residences

Abstract

Using modern data from the Lake Patzcuaro Basin in Mexico, the author evaluates in this paper the correlations between settlement areas and populations in order to assess the possibilities of estimating the size of prehistoric populations on the basis of the extent of occupation areas. The relationship between number of residences and population is similarly explored. Predictions within the defined categories are accurate in nearly two-thirds of the cases. This result suggests that the method has some value for estimating populations in archaeological situations where the required continuity of patterns of residence assures the relevance of historical data.