Existing Prehistoric and Historic Archaeological Site Data
The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) is the state agency responsible for maintaining the state prehistoric archaeology records. There are over 37,000 prehistoric archaeological sites that have been recorded in the state by professional archaeologists. Of these, some 21,000 were computerized in the 1980's using a Prime mainframe computer. These files were later ported to an IBM UniVerse system. This database system provides for only limited search and query of data records, and is becoming difficult to maintain. Since between 50 and over 450 new prehistoric sites are recorded each month, much of the recently recorded site information is not available in a timely manner for planning purposes.
Look at the current site form, or download it.
These sites will be ported to a current generation relational database as a part of this project. The remaining 15,000 site forms will be manually entered into the datbase. This will put all the state's archaeology data in a single and accessible format for the first time. This will make these data more useful in planning and research.
Additional information on historic sites and historic districts is maintained by the Survey and Planning Section of the Division of Archives and History. Over 50,000 historic sites are currently recorded there, many of them historic structures. None of these records are computerized at this time, with the exception of some historic districts, which are available in digital format. These records are not a part of our project.
Existing NC Map Data
click on the map to see a larger image
It takes a total of 971 USGS 1:24,000 quad sheets to cover the state. These maps are available as paper maps, and also as Digital Raster Graphics (DRG's) from the USGS. These are topo maps that have been scanned at a minimum of 250 dpi. Individual classes of features can be extracted, including hydrology, roads, boundaries, etc.
Existing NC Map Data
Fortunately, North Carolina has an excellent existing state GIS database residing with the North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). The North Carolina Corporate Geographic Database is an organized collection of strategic geographic datasets supported by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and the private sector. This is a statewide information resource intended for widespread accessibility. It is administered by the NCGIA under the guidance of the North Carolina Geographic Information Coordinating Council (GICC). These data will be used in the initial GIS analysis.
Historical NC Map Data
North Carolina also has excellent existing state archives of historical maps. Historical maps are very useful for this type of project, and these will be scanned and entered into the GIS system.
