Exploring Balıklı Archaeological Settlement and its surrounding landscape via GIS and geophysical survey

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 237 - 259, 30.09.2025

Melda Küçükdemirci

https://doi.org/10.28979/jarnas.1701574

Abstract

This study utilizes a multi-scale methodology that combines geophysical surveys with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based analysis of satellite imagery and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) at the Balıklı Archeological Settlement. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) revealed potential subsurface structures, while regional analyses, including satellite imagery, DEM, slope, aspect, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), watershed delineation, mass movement susceptibility, and viewshed assessments, offered a comprehensive understanding of the area's topography, hydrology, and landscape suitability. The results suggest that Balıklı should be strategically situated on relatively flat, south-facing terrain near water catchments, providing favorable conditions for living and strong visual control of the surrounding landscape. Gathering integrated spatial and geophysical data is crucial in archeology, as it offers valuable insights into how ancient societies engaged with their surroundings. This data also forms a foundational spatial framework that supports further investigations into settlement patterns, land use, and cultural evolution.

Keywords

Balıklı archeological settlement , GIS , archeological prospection , DEM , satellite imagery

Ethical Statement

No approval from the Board of Ethics is required.

Thanks

The author would like to thank Mihriban Özbaşaran and Güneş Duru, a director of Balıklı Archeological Settlement excavation, and his team for their support in this survey.

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