SYMAP analyses in archaeology: Intrasite assumptions and a comparison with TREND analysis
Harold J. Hietala, Paul Andrew Larson · Norwegian Archaeological Review · 1979
Computer‐based descriptive mapping techniques have been uncritically used in archaeological applications with varying degrees of success and acceptance. The TREND procedure, for example, has been widely advocated, while the SYMAP procedure is still little recognized. This paper shows that the SYMAP algorithm has underlying premises which are more consistent with general archaeological assumptions regarding the intrasite deposition of cultural materials. TREND analyses, on the‐other hand, are shown to be deficient in many situations. Two real intrasite examples arc portrayed which indicate that the SYMAP procedures are generally preferable to the TREND procedures.