VU Research Portal Palaeogeographic analysis of the Dutch part of the Roman limes and its hinterland Groenhuijzen, M.R. 2018 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Groenhuijzen, M. R. (2018). Palaeogeographic analysis of the Dutch part of the Roman limes and its hinterland: Computational approaches to transport and settlement in the Lower Rhine limes zone in the Netherlands. 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Oct. 2021 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Palaeogeographic analysis of the Dutch part of the Roman limes and its hinterland Computational approaches to transport and settlement in the Lower Rhine limes zone in the Netherlands ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen op dinsdag 13 november 2018 om 13.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Mark Raymon Groenhuijzen geboren te Zwolle promotor: prof.dr. N.G.A.M. Roymans copromotor: dr. J.W.H.P. Verhagen Palaeogeographic analysis of the Dutch part of the Roman limes and its hinterland Computational approaches to transport and settlement in the Lower Rhine limes zone in the Netherlands Cover design: Bert Brouwenstijn Cover photo: a route along a levee of one of the modern branches of the Rhine delta (coordinates 52.484/6.079), taken by Mark Groenhuijzen on the 9th of September 2018 © All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any forms by any means, without written permission of the author, except when communicated differently in journals and books where parts of this study were published earlier (in modified form). This edition is printed in a limited quantity in preparation for the PhD defence of the author and is not intended for widespread use. A commercial edition will become available after the defence has taken place. The research received funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) through grant 276-71-005, awarded to Philip Verhagen through the VIDI Innovational Research Incentives Scheme. Table of contents Table of contents .................................................................................................................................................................. I Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................................ VII 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Project description .............................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Aims of this study ................................................................................................................................................................3 1.3 Spatial and chronological framework ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.4 Theoretical framework .....................................................................................................................................................6 1.4.1 The concept of palaeogeography ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.4.2 Physical palaeogeography .................................................................................................................................... 8 1.4.3 Landscape archaeology ....................................................................................................................................... 12 1.4.4 Sites and settlements ........................................................................................................................................... 14 1.4.5 Transport .................................................................................................................................................................. 16 1.4.6 Computational archaeology .............................................................................................................................. 20 1.4.6.1 Geographic Information Systems .............................................................................................................. 20 1.4.6.2 Least-cost path analysis ................................................................................................................................ 21 1.4.6.3 Establishing the costs of movement for least-cost path analysis ............................................... 21 1.4.6.4 Implementation of least-cost path analysis in GIS software ......................................................... 23 1.4.6.5 Networks .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 1.4.6.6 Network analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 25 1.4.6.7 Agent-based modelling .................................................................................................................................. 29 1.5 Outline of thesis structure ............................................................................................................................................ 30 2 Natural palaeogeography .................................................................................................................................... 31 2.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................................... 31 2.2 Aims of this study ............................................................................................................................................................. 33 2.3 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................................... 34 2.3.1 GIS and palaeogeographic reconstruction ................................................................................................. 35 2.3.2 Sources ....................................................................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.2.1 Soil maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 37 2.3.2.2 Geomorphological maps ............................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.2.3 LIDAR elevation data ...................................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.2.4 Channel belt palaeogeography ................................................................................................................... 38 2.3.2.5 Local data ............................................................................................................................................................. 38 2.3.3 Mapping the western and central river areas ........................................................................................... 39 2.3.4 Mapping the eastern river area ....................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.4.1 Mapping across the border: the northern district of Kleve ........................................................... 40 2.4 The palaeogeographic map .......................................................................................................................................... 40 2.4.1 Palaeogeographic units ....................................................................................................................................... 41 I 2.4.1.1 Natural levees .................................................................................................................................................... 41 2.4.1.2 Floodplains.........................................................................................................................................................