A methodological framework for documenting and analysing Aegean Bronze Age built environments

The monumental built environment of the Aegean Bronze Age (the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE) reflects major episodes of investment of human and material resources. Despite the significance of these targeted deployments of resources for the study of long-term processes of social stratification and state formation, building processes are rarely examined. In this study, we present a methodological framework for evaluating building strategies. To support this analysis, we designed a relational database that integrates large datasets to enable queries that combine spatial and qualitative architectural parameters. The output includes maps produced in QGIS that visualise the allocation of resources across a monumental building. These visualisations feed spatial interpretation and are complemented by statistical analysis. This paper demonstrates how this database-driven approach offers a valuable tool for addressing building strategies, while also providing a scalable solution for integrating architectural data across varied geographical and historical contexts.