The Impact of Probability on Archaeological Interpretation

Interpretation of the archaeological record is determined by the occurrence and distribution of finds and their (relative and absolute) distribution over space. Comparison and categorization of finds strongly depends on their characteristics and the significance assigned to them. By default this is a very erroneous process leading to debate about individual finds, their significance and of course their interpretation. In this paper we will discuss the (objective) impact of probability on interpretation of data by measuring and comparing the impact of probability on metrics such as centrality.