In this study GIS and spatial analysis were applied in order to thoroughly examine possible relationships between the location of Mycenaean (16 th -11 th c. BC) settlements in Messenia and the geomorphological characteristics of the area of their establishment. The idea lying behind this attempt is that the Mycenaeans would not have established their habitation sites randomly but according to decisive criteria, among which geomorphological characteristics played an important role. Such criteria include land aspect, terrain slopes, the hydrographic network and the geology of the area, all significant factors which need to be taken into consideration in order to evaluate the choice of settlement establishment. The combination of all available geological and environmental data with archaeological records provides a better view of the way local environments were built up in the past in association with the human site exploration and habitation; this view, hereafter defined as the Geocumulative versus Habitation (GCH) approach, constitutes the axis of the present study.The results of the study show a clear tendency in choosing settlement locations according to GCH criteria, resulting in a preference for flat to low-lying ground, in an environmentally friendly orientation (with environmental conditions such as protection from the north wind and at the same time profit by the sunlight), facilitating exploitation of local geological resources and of the hydrographic network.

The aim of this paper is to create and present a new archaeological predictive model via GIS, incorporating what archaeologists consider the most important criterion absent of similar past models, that of critical thinking. The new model suggested in this paper is named habitation Model Trend Calculation (MTC) and is not only integrates the archaeological questions with a critical view, but it can be easily adjusted, according to the conditions or the questions concerning the archaeological community. Furthermore, it uses new topographical and geomorphological indexes such as Topographical Index (TPI), Hillslope and Landform Classification that give a new sense of the topographical and geomorphological characteristics of the examined area; therefore this model is a more powerful tool compared to older models that did not use new topographical and geomorphological indexes. The success of the created model is checked as a case study in the region of Messenia, Greece during the Mycenaean era. The region of Messenia is considered as one of the most important Mycenaean regions of Greece due to the great number and the importance of Mycenaean sites identified. For the present paper, 140 habitation sites were divided into four hierarchical categories (centers, large villages, villages, and farms) based on the extent and the plurality of the tholos tombs that exist in the broader region and according to the hierarchical categorization used by the archaeologists who have studied the area. The new predictive model presented in this work can assist in solving a series of criticisms that have been expressed in the previous studies regarding such models. Additionally, in the case of Mycenaean Messenia, the model shows excellent results in relation to the habitats of the time.

One of the hardest terms for students new to geographic information systems to understand is the meaning and application of Aspect. When taking one’s first steps in spatial analysis using data in the form of rasters, the first three things new users are called to learn and use are exporting a digital elevation model, the Slope (land incline) and finally the Aspect (orientation of a slope). While the first two are quite straightforward and easily comprehended even from newcomers to spatial analysis in geographic information systems, Aspect continues throughout the learning process to be difficult as a function with one out of three new students not able to decipher it. This paper attempts to give a simpler definition to Aspect including its analytical significance in geographic information systems.

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The purpose of this paper is the digitization process and the techniques used, in cases of archival material preservation. Digitization as a process, whether it involves old documents and old maps, or audio and video clips, is the most appropriate process not only for the protection, but also for the reuse, upgrading and highlighting of cultural heritage elements. In this paper, the main problems are presented divided into the main categories of archival material (photographic material, printed material, audio, and video material) while at the same time the equipment and means used are presented.