Assessing environmental and cultural variables influencing predictive modelling success within Northeast British Columbia
Type: article
Abstract: Archaeological predictive models are widely used in cultural resource management in northeastern British Columbia to guide land-use decisions and reduce impacts to archaeological sites.However, questions remain regarding their accuracy and the environmental contexts in which they succeed or fail.This study conducts a comparative evaluation of the Millennia Northeast BC Model and the Peace Forest District Overview Model within an overlapping area of application in Northeast BC.A total of 1,895 recorded archaeological sites were examined to determine the extent to which each model predicts known site locations.The results show that the Millennia Model performs more effectively overall, predicting 74% of sites compared to 64% predicted by the Peace Overview Model.To further assess the influence of environmental variables on model success, a subset of 200 post-2007 sites was selected to ensure higher locational accuracy.These were categorized into sites predicted by both models and sites missed by both models.Five key site attributes; terrain size and slope, terrain type, vegetation, terrain aspect, and proximity to water were analyzed using chi-square statistics to evaluate variable associations with predictive outcomes.Findings reveal that both models consistently identify large, steep landforms and struggle to capture small or lowangled microtopographic features.Vegetation and aspect show mixed association trends, while proximity to water is not significantly associated with prediction outcomes.Overall, this research demonstrates that although the predictive models provide practical value in resource planning, their performance is constrained by limitations in input data resolution and environmental generalization.The study highlights the need for continued refinement, including enhanced microtopography detection through high-resolution LiDAR, to strengthen the protection of archaeological resources in northeastern British Columbia.
Source: Summit (Simon Fraser University)
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7139824012