Spatial Distribution and Settlement Systems: a Case Study of the South Western Kenya Stone Structures

Abstract

The stone structure Sites in South Western Kenya (SWK) Lake Victoria region mark points where early immigrants to the region settled. This work provides an interpretation of their location in space and distribution pattern here termed as settlement pattern. The work also establishes variables for site and individual structure location otherwise termed as settlement systems. This has been done by considering on the on set of the work that construction and location of Ohingni was a result of several interacting factors leading to a non random pattern of settlement. After a further consideration of settlement patterns, it was found out that clustering of both sites and structures could be a result of independent attraction of structures toward an unevenly distributed resource areas or attraction of structures toward each other and that structures were possibly located on areas safe from wild animals and free of water logging.Nearest Neighbor Analysis (NNA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) as both descriptive and analytic methods reveal that these early settlements were clustered on particular resourceful areas. The R coefficients and CA results indicate that the settlements were highly clustered. This general pattern contains other sub-patterns related to particular variables within the cluster areas: This include Hilly Cluster patterns, River headland cluster patterns, Near the Lake cluster pattems and Dry spot cluster pattems. Associations between individual structure and cluster areas is also evident through the CA results although this will need further research and verification. The distribution of the structures show that most settlements were located on hilly areas endorsed with abundant loose basalt rocks far structure construction. This was a prime determinant factor for location. The existence of other factors such as good drainage, water and land around hilly areas also explain hilly preference. These together with a number of social factors interact to generate a process of structure and site evolution forming a distinct settlement system model. This is basically a set of rules systematically developed to govern the location,expansion and spread of the structures in the region. At the end of the tradition, about early 20th Century, the rules had become outdated leading to different approaches in settlement strategies. In the overall, the work has completed the documentation of the stone structure sites from a reliable survey in the South Western Kenya region. It has also put forward, identified and evaluated several variables for the Ohingni distribution and lastly analyzed the settlement pattern by use of NNA and CA as would be done in any similar cases of agricultural adaptations