Revisiting moated sites in Northeast Thailand: integrating spatial analysis with previous and new research insights

Moated sites in northeast Thailand serve as pivotal evidence of human–environment interaction since the Iron Age and have been subject to extensive study. This research conducts a comprehensive examination of moated sites, aiming to analyze their spatial characteristics and relationships with physical environmental factors across various scales, including regional and major river basins. To achieve these goals, advanced GIS tools including average nearest neighbor (ANN) analysis, kernel density estimation (KDE), standard deviational ellipse (SDE) analysis, and the Kruskal–Wallis test are employed. By incorporating a dataset of 468 moated sites and expanding the geographic scope beyond previous studies, this research offers new insights into settlement patterns and environmental interactions. Contrary to earlier interpretations suggesting random dispersion, the study’s findings reveal a clustering pattern, indicating intentional spatial organization by ancient communities. The study also highlights the influence of rainfall on the number of moats, with multiple moats more common in lower rainfall areas and single moats in higher rainfall regions. Additionally, the results observe that sites with more moats are typically found at higher elevations, although no significant correlation between elevation and site size was identified, challenging previous studies' conclusions. These results underscore the importance of local environmental conditions, such as rainfall and elevation, in shaping the distribution and characteristics of moated sites. The findings highlight the complex interplay between environmental factors and human settlement strategies, emphasizing the role of water management in ancient communities.