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ARCHAEOLOGY ARTICLE

Prehistoric Populations
Entered by MIKE BALDWIN

12.11.2002 -- There is no way of knowing how many people lived in a prehistoric community at any one time. However, archaeologists have tried to find ways of making sensible estimates. One careful study has come up with a rough formula for use in some areas: One person for every ten square meters of floor space in a dwelling. To apply this formula, measure the number of square meters in the floors of all contemporary houses in a prehistoric Indian community, divide by ten, and you have a figure that represents the total number of people in the community at that particular time.

Franklin Folsom; America's Ancient Treasures; Rand McNally and Company; New York, NY; 1974.
Reprinted for educational purposes under the "fair use" provision of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.