Order in movement: a GIS approach to accessibility

The aim of this paper is to extend the range of current analytical procedures that archaeologists use to understand movement. In particular, how a landscape becomes ordered by simply defining a destination. More specifically, this study proposes the derivation of a focal mobility network, i.e. the network of most likely paths towards a given destination, and explores several of its applications within a landscape archaeology framework. The suggested extensions are based on existing standard procedures within most GIS. A series of synthetic control surfaces and an archaeological study focused around Iron Age hillforts in Galicia (NW Spain) are used as case studies to illustrate different analytical possibilities.

Research highlights
► Landscapes become structured when moving towards a specific destination.
► GIS calculated accumulated cost surface provides an expression of this structure.
► A focal mobility network describes most likely paths to destination.
► Movement is characterized by accessibility signatures, indexes and mobility basins.
► Accessibility for NW Spain Iron Age hillforts from different periods are compared.