Least-cost Paths – Some Methodological Issues

Table of Contents

• Summary
• Table of contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Why least-cost path calculations?
• 3. LCP algorithms
  • 3.1 The accumulated cost surface
  • 3.2 Backtracking from the destination to the origin
  • 3.3 Variants of Dijkstra's algorithm and alternatives
• 4. Properties of least-cost distances
• 5. Cost components in archaeological LCP studies
  • 5.1 Slope
    • 5.1.1 DEM issues
    • 5.1.2 Effective slope
    • 5.1.3 Switchbacks and critical slope
    • 5.1.4 Slope-dependent cost functions
      • 5.1.4.1 Simple slope-dependent cost functions
      • 5.1.4.2 Cost functions measuring time
      • 5.1.4.3 Cost functions measuring energy expenditure
  • 5.2 Combining slope and loads
  • 5.3 Vegetation cover, wetlands and other soil properties
  • 5.4 Travelling and transport on water
  • 5.5 Water as barrier and as attractor
  • 5.6 Other topographical factors
    • 5.6.1 Aspect
    • 5.6.2 Altitude
  • 5.7 Social and cultural cost components
  • 5.8 Combining costs
• 6. Conclusions and Best Practice
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography