Ethnographic and ethno-historic data provide the basis for associating occupant numbers with household sizes. For example in the Valley of Oaxaca, the most common, small residential structures were assumed to house 5-10 occupants. Larger structures located on raised platforms were assumed to house 10-20 occupants.
A correlation can be established between sherd scatter density and density of residential structures sizes in occupations where both are visible on the surface. Using occupant / structure numbers determined as above one can derive a correlation between sherd density and population density. Assuming this correlation holds where only sherd scatter is visible on the surface, one can use it to estimate population. This discussion is based on Blanton et. al ‘82 :10-11and Sanders et. al ‘79:34-40. The latter contains a detailed discussion of this methodology and its problems.
