Journal of Archaeological Science Reports· 2026Q1
Defensibility and views from accessible coastlines are the best predictors of ancient Samoan fort locations
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Ancient Samoan fort locations are best predicted by their defensibility and views from accessible coastlines, according to geostatistical analyses of LiDAR data.
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Key points
- Fort locations in ancient Samoa are strongly predicted by defensibility and views from accessible coastlines.
- Fort construction attributes, such as ditches, were used to classify forts by complexity.
- Certain fort types correlate with specific Samoan regions or environments.
- Fort location and construction reflect socio-political organization, territoriality, and competition for resources.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Samoan fort construction and location is investigated relative to variable resources and environments using geostatistical analyses and LiDAR data. Our results indicate that fort locations are predicted by defensibility and views from accessible coastline. Attributes of fort construction, such as the presence of ditches, are used to create a series of fort classifications of differing complexity, with some fort types associated with particular areas of Samoa or specific environments. The results are interpreted within an evolutionary framework, where ancient Samoan forts provide insights into socio-political organization, including territoriality and competition in relation to resources, broadly conceived.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Geography, Planning and Development
Geography, Planning and DevelopmentSocial Sciences