The Study of Dark Age Greece has lacked both stratigraphic control from excavated settlement sites and substantial survey data, which ideally ought to be the basis for interpretations of the period. The Kavousi area of east Crete is a local environment rich in Dark Age remains which in recent years has been subjected to intensive survey and archaeological excavation. This paper examines 'traditional' (pre-World War II) and Early Iron Age Settlement Patterns in this region. The comparison illustrates the similarity of two settlement systems in the same environment, and suggests that the sparse agricultural land, limited water resources and fragmented topography are local variables that have effected the regional identity of the settlements in both traditional and Dark Age Kavousi. Further, the paper demonstrates the use of survey data in forming hypothesis in examining settlement development in a period traditionally defined by isolated excavated buildings and burial assemblages. The conclusions show the importance of a broad spatial perspective and the examination of topography and regional environment in assessing cultural diversity and social systems in Dark Age Crete.