More Maps

One of the exciting challenges that I face at the end of every season on the Western Argolid Regional Project is producing maps. The goal of the maps is usually to communicate some basic information: number of units, artifact density, or the location of particularly important artifact clusters. 

Sometimes, however, we need to produce maps that allow for more complicated kinds of analysis. This analysis typically involves looking at several variables on a map simultaneously. At this point, I generally make a mess of things.

Here’s our basic survey map:

Then I add densities:

Then I outline in red some units that are interesting to me. In this case, they’re interesting because they are in the highest quartile of density per particular visibility. In the case below it is 10%-20% visibility.

Then I decide to add pink and purple outlines for units that are in the top two quartiles for 30%-50% visibility:

Then I just add the visibility numbers for each unit:

Then I start to add dot densities for various periods of artifacts:

By then the map is getting a bit cluttered, but it contains a bunch of useful information.