Project background
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has identified the need for GIS-based Archaeological predictive models for use during the planning of multi-lane highways in new locations. The models will integrate available environmental and cultural variables in order to rank proposed highway corridors and alternatives for the likelihood of containing prehistoric and historic archaeological resources. The 37,000 existing archaeological site files for the state will be digitized, and an easy-to-use, web enabled graphical user interface (GUI) will be developed for use by NCDOT staff.
A team lead by Environmental Services Inc. (ESI) has been selected to conduct this work. The team includes Dr. Scott Madry of UNC-CH as co-project director, along with Dr. Gregg Smith of ESI-Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Kenneth Kvamme of the University of Arkansas will act as statistical and modeling consultant. The combined resources of ESI's Raleigh and Jacksonville, Florida offices, and GAI Consultants, Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be involved.
What is GIS?
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are powerful computer tools that allow us to put maps and other information (like archaeological site locations) into a computerized database. We can then combine, manipulate and analyze these data easily.
What is a predictive model?
Using GIS technology, we can create large databases that contain a variety of environmental and cultural data. Once these data are in our GIS system, we can analyze the relationships between the location of archaeological sites of different types and the environmental conditions where they are located. Information such as soil type, slope, and distance to water are often important variables in determining where archaeological sites are found. Once these patterns are determined, we can then ask the computer to find all similar locations in the database. These maps of high, medium, and low potential are the products of the predictive models. These data can then be used by the NCDOT in the design and placement of new highway allignments
Data Requirements
Environmental data:
What kind of data will be used in this project? Environmental data such as elevation, slope, aspect (direction the slope faces), soil type, distance to water, modern and previous vagetation are all useful for this type of project.
Archaeological data:
Some 37,000 archaeological sites have been recorded in North Carolina. These site records will be computerized and entered into a modern database as part of this project. These data will then be used to analyze the patterns of site locations in relation to the environmental data in the GIS. Computerizing the state's archaeological site records will also provide a variety of other benefits.
Archaeological Modeling Applications in Progress
There have been several examples of similar projects. Look here for their websites.
North Carolina Prehistory
When did people first come to live in what is now North Carolina. What do we know (and not know) about these early inhabitants of what is now our home? Look here for more information.
