Communication: Reply to Fox and Schruben
In the recent issue of Management Science Fox Fox, B. 1978. Estimation and simulation. Management Sci.24 8, April 860--861. expressed doubts about the relevance of steady-state behavior. In a reply Schruben Schruben, L. W. 1978. Reply to Fox. Management Sci.24 8, April 862. disagreed on this point. With Fox he was in favor of publishing failures of variance reduction techniques VRT's. I would like to add the following remarks.
Estimation and Simulation
A number of papers on estimation procedures for simulation have been published in Management Science and related journals. I believe that many of these are on the wrong track. The purpose of this letter is to indicate what appear to be shortcomings in this literature and to suggest (imperfect) remedies.
Geographic And Environmental Influence On Maya Settlement Patterns Of The Northwest Yucatan: An Explanation For The Sparsely Settled Western Cenote Zone
Most settlement pattern research and GIS analysis of the ancient Maya of the Northern Yucatan have focused on water availability in a dry landscape where cenotes are often the only water source. While water is of paramount importance, permanent settlement secondarily requires farmable soil, a resource often as precious as water in many parts of the Yucatan. The dynamics between these resources reveal areas of ideal settlement and more challenging landscapes for which the Maya developed strategies to overcome environmental conditions. A region of the southwest "Cenote Zone", however, appears to have presented the ancient Maya with insurmountably poor environmental conditions despite abundant water resources. The lack of dense population and stone architecture in this area emphasizes the lack of a simple correlation between cenotes and settlement. This thesis uses GIS analysis to identify and explore such problematic settlement areas to better understand the factors and complexities involved in the more successful settlements of neighboring regions. iv This work is dedicated to my late father, who first introduced me to the Mundo Maya through a visit to the ruins of Tikal at the age of nine, and who instilled in me strength, curiosity, and a love for exploring the world. v ACKLOWLEDGEMENTS I'd like to acknowledge Dr. Arlen Chase and Dr. Diane Chase for providing such outstanding opportunities and instruction, and for leading by example both in the field and in the classroom. Dr. John Walker for his eye-opening perspectives, GIS instruction, inspiring hard-working attitude, and patience in the field. Dr. Clifford Brown and Dr. Walter Witschey for their invaluable correspondence and for their contributions to mapping and GIS data of Maya sites.