Configurations spatiales et hiérarchiques du peuplement antique : des indicateurs quantitatifs pour une confrontation interrégionale.

The increase or decrease of the number of settlements is frequently used to assess the interactions between ancient societies and their environment. Beside this quantitative indicator, the pattern and the spatial extent of a settlement are crucial to estimate the " human pressure " on the environment. Within the ArchaeDyn program, several quantitative indicators have been developed to characterise the spatial and hierarchical structure of a settlements' scatter. The application of these indicators in four regions of Southern and Central Gaul shows the evolution of the spatial and hierarchical configurations of the settlement through phases of increasing and reducing rates of occupation.