To better interpret the perception of landscape and spatiality in relation to the human occupation, landscape and monumental spatial research has in the last couple of decades become a growing topic in archaeology. Research perspectives varied based on the theoretical or philosophical approach and very often these views were characterized by a prevailing single socio-cultural theoretical perspective.

This doctoral research proposes to explore the potential of a multidimensional landscape paradigm by introducing multiple specific social spatial concepts. The prospective research possibilities of this spatial theory-based landscape approach will be illustrated by way of the Bronze and Iron age monumental spaces and archaeological survey-data from the Karakol- and Yustyd-valley in the Russian Altai.

Three objectives will tentatively be developed:

1. To develop a (or several) conceptual landscape framework(s) grounded on the principles of social space and spatiality. This entails the detailed study of the fundamentals of social spatial dimensions and to ascertain their tangible use towards archaeological analysis.
2. To examine the mainly survey-based Bronze and Iron age archaeological database of the Karakol and Yustyd valley in the Russian Altai by means of GIS-based spatial analysis tools and modelling.
3. To intercross the conceptual spatial frameworks, the GIS-results, and the archaeological data so to develop one or more plausible spatial theory-based landscape paradigms and archaeological methodologies while scrutinizing for drawbacks possibly related to the implementation of theoretical perspective landscape building within the context of archaeological monumental spatial or landscape research.

PhD research by Dominiek Dutoo