introduction to and arcaeological apps of gis
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Introduction to and the Introduction to and the Archaeological Applications Archaeological Applications
of GIS of GIS Jo Dyson Jo Dyson
GIS and Mapping Technician GIS and Mapping Technician Room MB 25 Room MB 25
[email protected]@worc.ac.uk
Aims of Session Aims of Session
• What is GIS (Geographical Information Systems)?
• General Applications of GIS • Applications of GIS in Archaeology • GIS Software – ESRI ArcGIS 9.3 • Practical – making a map using GIS for
use on site and in your final excavation/survey report
GIS - Geographic Information System
In GIS the term “Geographic” (relating to geography) means that it deals with….
Locations, interactions and distributionof people, places and/or things.
GIS - Geographic Information System
In a GIS the term “Information” usually means a data base.
Lists of people, places, or things. This information can come from….
SpreadsheetsDatabasesAir Photos
Satellite imagesGPS units
Internet searches
GIS - Geographic Information System
In a GIS the term “System” refers to the GIS Operator, the computer, the data, and the software working together.
.
GIS isGIS is……a Map! a Map!
GIS isGIS is……able to display elevation able to display elevation datadata
GIS isGIS is……able to analyst data able to analyst data
GIS isGIS is……able to display aerial able to display aerial imagery and geophysical dataimagery and geophysical data
GIS isGIS is……able to do 3D (actually it is able to do 3D (actually it is 2.5D)2.5D)
General GIS Applications General GIS Applications • Local Authorities – LLPG (Local Land and Property
Gazetteer), planning applications and ecological record• Retail/Business – working out where your
customers/competitors are to find store locations and delivery route planning
• Environment – flood mapping, climate change mapping and monitoring animal movement
• Police – crime location mapping and geographical profiling of suspects
• Other applications: Satellite Navigation Systems, computer gaming, Multimap and Google Earth
General GIS Applications: Store General GIS Applications: Store Location Analysis Location Analysis
General GIS Applications: Route General GIS Applications: Route Planning Planning
General GIS Applications: General GIS Applications: Environmental Mapping Environmental Mapping
General GIS Applications: General GIS Applications: Environmental MappingEnvironmental Mapping
General GIS Applications: Crime General GIS Applications: Crime and Forensics and Forensics
Archaeological Applications of GIS Archaeological Applications of GIS Introduction
• GIS offers archaeologists an exciting and powerful research tool
• The data is both spatial and temporal and is therefore suited to the basic principles of GIS
• Main applications• Cultural Resource Management• Historic Environment Record (HER) • Landscape Analysis
First Use of GIS in Archaeology First Use of GIS in Archaeology
• Gaffney and Stančič (1991) Work based on Island of Hvar, Croatia
• Created a DEM from topographic map at scale of 1:50,000
First Use of GIS in ArchaeologyFirst Use of GIS in Archaeology• Used Site Catchment Analysis (SCA) on hillforts • Hillforts functioned as a central place for large numbers
of inhabitants due to location in landscape and labour required
• Hillforts were situated on hilltops and surrounded by large stone ramparts
First Use of GIS in ArchaeologyFirst Use of GIS in Archaeology• Used Visibility Analysis on the
Greek Towers of Hvar • Built to allow town of Pharos to
be alerted of any danger approaching them
• Towers would have used fire or smoke signals to send message – assumes clear line of sight between them - can be tested with GIS
• Discovered that tower at Maslinovik would have been able to see tower at Tor and pass message back to Pharos
Wroxeter Hinterland Project Wroxeter Hinterland Project
• Gaffney et al (2007)• First use of GIS in
archaeology as database for all information relating to project : geophysics, aerial imagery, field walking, OS mapping and find spots etc
Wroxeter Hinterland ProjectWroxeter Hinterland Project
Stonehenge Landscapes Stonehenge Landscapes • Exon et al (2000) • Aim of the project was to
digitally explore the relationships of the monuments around Stonehenge and how these relationships have changed over time
• Groundbreaking to the extent that the readers were able to see and question the data on a CD, provided with book
Stonehenge LandscapesStonehenge Landscapes• Discovered that there was a
key relationship between the monuments and the topography
• First to study the Stonehenge landscape using GIS. It transformed archaeologist’s views on the Stonehenge landscape as the GIS showed the already well-studied area in a new light
• The project demonstrates GIS ability to interpret data as opposed to just a data storage tool
Laxton Castle, NottinghamshireLaxton Castle, Nottinghamshire
• Combined use of GPS, GIS, Geophysics and historical mapping to understand castle and its environs
• C12th Motte and Bailey Castle
Laxton Castle, NottinghamshireLaxton Castle, Nottinghamshire
Tutbury Castle, StaffordshireTutbury Castle, Staffordshire• C11th Motte and
Bailey castle • Similar
techniques used as LaxtonCastle
Tutbury Castle, StaffordshireTutbury Castle, Staffordshire
King Edward I Castles in North King Edward I Castles in North Wales Wales
• My BA and MA dissertation work • BA: Viewshed (Visibility) Analysis and
Cost Surface Analysis (CSA) • MA: Sensuous Viewsheds or 3D Visibility
Analysis and used GIS in conjunction with Autodesk 3D Studio Max to create castle models
King Edward I Castles in North King Edward I Castles in North WalesWales
First you need to know the ‘cost’ over all types of terrain
What is CSA? What is CSA?
Normally this means calculating cost from for example the slope grid… 4 miles/hr
3 miles/hr
2 miles/hr
Not forgetting the effect of slope distance
Slope distance
Distance shown on map
King Edward I Castles in North King Edward I Castles in North WalesWales
Historic Environment Record (HER) Historic Environment Record (HER)
• Gloucestershire County Council
• HER holds 24,000 records and is constantly updated
• Uses an Oracle database linked to ArcGIS
Historic Landscape Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) Characterisation (HLC)
• HLC is concerned with mapping our entire historic landscape
• Work usually done by Local Authorities
• To build a HLC database, using a GIS and digital mapping, vector polygons are created to give a particular landscape type to a block of land
• A landscape type could be woodland, military, or residential
• Each type is given its own colour and displayed in the GIS as an additional layer. Changes to the landscape can be shown over time by switching the layers on and off
Wolverhampton in 1880Wolverhampton in 1880
LegendBlue is ExtractivePink is SettlementRed is Commercial Yellow is Recreational
Wolverhampton in 1910Wolverhampton in 1910
LegendBlue is ExtractivePink is SettlementRed is Commercial Yellow is Recreational
Wolverhampton in 2000Wolverhampton in 2000
LegendBlue is ExtractivePink is Settlement Red is Commercial Yellow is Recreational
Wolverhampton: Surviving Wolverhampton: Surviving Terrace HousesTerrace Houses
LegendGreen is Circa 1910Blue is Circa 1900Purple is Circa 1880 Green is
Wolverhampton City Boundary
Red is Main Roads (Modern Roads)
First you need to know the ‘cost’ over all types of terrain
What is CSA? What is CSA?
Normally this means calculating cost from for example the slope grid… 4 miles/hr
3 miles/hr
2 miles/hr
Not forgetting the effect of slope distance
Slope distance
Distance shown on map
Issues Surrounding the use of GISIssues Surrounding the use of GIS
• The information is only as good as the original data source and is dependent upon the expertise and experience of the researcher
• Bias to regional landscape based studies
• GIS is atemporal and only able to deal with spatial phenomena in a single instant of time –although this has been accommodated by use of time slices
First you need to know the ‘cost’ over all types of terrain
What is CSA? What is CSA?
Normally this means calculating cost from for example the slope grid… 4 miles/hr
3 miles/hr
2 miles/hr
Not forgetting the effect of slope distance
Slope distance
Distance shown on map
Issues Surrounding the use of GISIssues Surrounding the use of GIS
• The information is only as good as the original data source and is dependent upon the expertise and experience of the researcher
• Bias to regional landscape based studies
• GIS is atemporal and only able to deal with spatial phenomena in a single instant of time –although this has been accommodated by use of time slices
Issues Surrounding the use of GISIssues Surrounding the use of GIS
• Gives ‘a picture of past landscapes which the inhabitant would hardly recognise’ (Thomas 1993)
• GIS has a positivist and scientific bias• Some data does not lend itself to digital capture (e.g. soil
types rarely change as abruptly as the lines demarking the distribution on a map will show)
• GIS does not take into account the seasonal variation of vegetation cover or how a landscape may have been vegetated
• GIS is ocular-centric – you only ‘see’ the landscape, not experience it in any other way
Is it just pretty pictures?
SummarySummary
• know what a GIS is • Know GIS applications in real world • Know GIS applications in archaeology • Know problems with GIS in archaeology • Now it is time for the practical….