Anthropology 452
GIS in Archaeology
Wintersession 2012
Instructor: Todd M. Ahlman
Email: todd.ahlman@umontana.edu or tahlman@hrassoc.com
Meeting Time: 9:10-12:00
Location: SSH258
Course objective: The purpose of this course is to expose students to the variety of Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) tools and techniques available to archaeologists and anthropologists. Course
topics will include data acquisition, management, and analysis as well as cartography and graphical
display of analytical results. Integration of real world examples will complement lectures and exercises.
Learning outcomes:
1. Students will learn the basic terminologies, goals, and methodologies of GIS and archaeology,
Students will also develop an understanding of the features ESRI ArcGIS software.
2. Students will understand how GIS applications are relevant to anthropology.
3. Students will develop skills, via practical applications, in implementing GIS solutions to
understanding culture and the past.
Optional textbook:
Ormsby, Tim, Eileen Napoleon, Robert Burke, Carolyn Groessl, and Laura Bowden
2010
Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Second Edition, Updated for ArcGIS 10. ESRI Press.
http://esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=177&moduleID=0
Includes 180-day trial of ArcGIS software
Reading materials (available online):
Wheatley, David, and Mark Gillings.
2002
Spatial Technology and Archaeology: the Archaeological Applications of GIS. Taylor & Francis, London
and New York.
Wescott, Konnie L. and R. Joe Brandon
1999
Practical Applications of GIS for Archaeologists: A Predictive Model Toolkit. CRC Press, New York.
ESRI, Inc.
2009 GIS Best Practices: GIS in Archaeology.
http://www.esri.com/library/bestpractices/archaeology.pdf.
Plus articles and electronic documents to be assigned.
Assignments and Grading: For Undergraduates, your class grade will be based on class participation, 6
short assignments, 2 mid-sized assignments, and one final project that will involve an in-class
presentation. For graduates, your class grade will include all the work that undergraduates are required to
complete as well as conduct a spatial analysis and present the results in a written paper.
Class Participation (2 points per class for a total of 26 points): I expect you to attend class, but class
attendance is not mandatory, and to be involved in classroom discussion. In addition, I will give you time
during the class period to finish the assignments and you will be expected to be in class during this time
(or until you finish the assignment).
Short assignments (10 points each for a total of 60 points): These will involve short skill-based
assignments that we discuss in class and can likely be completed during the class period free time.
Mid-sized assignments (25 points each for a total of 50 points): These assignments will involve using
multiple skills learned in the short assignments as well as expanding your GIS knowledge.
Final project and presentation (110 points): This project will be a culmination of class and should
involve several aspects of the different research topics and GIS skills we discussed during the class. A 510 minute in class presentation of this research will also be required.
Graduate assignment (50 points): Graduate students will be given a data set from an archaeological site
and will be required to conduct a spatial analysis. The results of this spatial analysis will be presented in a
5 to 7 page paper. The goal of this assignment is to familiarize graduate students with an additional set of
tools that they will likely use during their career.
Scoring Scale: 90-100 percent = A
80-90 percent = B
70-80 percent = C
60-70 percent = D
Less than 59.9 percent = F
Course topics and schedule:
January 3:
Introduction to geographic information systems (GIS)
GIS data types and sources
Archaeology and GIS
ESRI 2009
January 4:
Anthropological questions and GIS
Basics of ArcGIS I
Wheatley and Gillings Chapter 1
University of Arkansas Sections 1 and 2
January 5:
Basics of ArcGIS II
GIS data acquisition
Wheatley and Gillings Chapters 2 and 3
January 6:
Making Maps
Doing historical research with maps and GIS
University of Arkansas Section 6
January 9:
2D and 3D data and mapping
Wheatley and Gillings Chapter5
January 10: Identifying patterns
Spatial queries
University of Arkansas Sections 3, 4, and 5
Wheatley and Gillings Chapter 4, 6, and 11
Kintigh 1990 Intrasite spatial analysis: a commentary on major methods
January 11: Point data and interpolation
Wheatley and Gillings Chapter 9
January 12: GIS project development
January 13: Landscape Modeling
Spatial Modeling
Wheatley and Gillings Chapters 4 and 5
Moyes 2002 The use of GIS in the spatial analysisof an archaeological cave site.
(http://www.caves.org/pub/journal/PDF/V64/v64n1-Moyes.pdf)
Whitley and Hicks 2001Using a geographic information system approach to extract potential
prehistoric and historic travel corridors in north Georgia
(http://www.brockington.org/research/papers/SEAC2001-WhitleyandHicks.pdf)
January 16: No Class-MLK Day
January 17: Predictive modeling I
Wescott and Brandon Chapters 1-5
Minnesota DOT model: http://www.mnmodel.dot.state.mn.us/
January 18: Predictive modeling II
Wescott and Brandon Chapters 6-9
Viewshed analysis
Wheatley and Gillings Chapter 10
Van Leusen, P. M. (2002). Methodological Investigations into the Formation and Interpretation
of Spatial Patterns in Archaeological Landscapes, Ch. 6.
(http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/FILES/faculties/arts/2002/p.m.van.leusen/ch6.pdf)
January 19: Open lab for presentations and assignments
January 21: Presentations