Abstract
This study employs a predictive modeling approach using the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) algorithm to estimate the potential distribution of prehistoric archaeological sites across the karst landscape of the southeastern arm of Sulawesi Island. This region, which includes the karst zones of Matarombeo, Mekongga, Tangkelemboke, and Sombori, possesses high archaeological potential yet remains largely unexplored. By integrating presence data from 64 previously recorded archaeological sites with six environmental variables; namely elevation, slope, aspect, hydrology, and geology, the MaxEnt model produced an indicative map of potential site locations. The model’s output was validated through a field survey conducted in North Kolaka Regency in December 2024, which successfully identified several new sites across various predicted probability classes. The resulting data and maps offer significant value for cultural heritage preservation, spatial planning, and further research in similar karst environments.