GIS AND REMOTE SENSING IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY
COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This course is in preparation.
ASSESSMENT
The main goal of this class is for each student to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to initiate, create and carry out a project in a GIS that answers questions related to archaeological and/or historical investigation, preferably related to their own specific research interests. To that end, in-class time will be devoted to training exercises for the first half of the course, and the majority of evaluation is based on their individual preparation of the project over the course of the semester, which will be the entirety of the focus for the second half of the course. Weekly readings are assigned to familiarize students with broad trends and debates in the application of GIS to archaeological and historical questions.
Familiarity with the scholarship specifically relevant to their final project is essential to responsibly carrying out their analyses. Therefore students will commence a weekly literature review in the fourth week, for which students will find, read and review articles relevant to their interests and idea for a final project. After two weeks of literature review, students will prepare an abstract proposing their final project. In-class exercises are intended to expose students to possible analyses to support their investigations, and any extra time in the lab after they have completed these exercises will be dedicated to furthering and building their final project, and Weeks 10 & 11 will be supervised lab time, so that students can work on their projects and receive assistance on any problems or issues.
Familiarity with the scholarship specifically relevant to their final project is essential to responsibly carrying out their analyses. Therefore students will commence a weekly literature review in the fourth week, for which students will find, read and review articles relevant to their interests and idea for a final project. After two weeks of literature review, students will prepare an abstract proposing their final project. In-class exercises are intended to expose students to possible analyses to support their investigations, and any extra time in the lab after they have completed these exercises will be dedicated to furthering and building their final project, and Weeks 10 & 11 will be supervised lab time, so that students can work on their projects and receive assistance on any problems or issues.
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In-class exercises
Proposal abstract Literature reviews Project presentation Final project |
30% (6 x 5%)
5% 35% (7 x 5%) 10% 20% |
BOOKS AND READINGS
Required Books:
Ormsby et al. 2010. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. ESRI Press.
Suggested References and Further Introductory Readings:
Knowles, Anne Kelly (ed.). 2008. Placing history : how maps, spatial data, and GIS are changing historical scholarship. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.
Conolly, James and Mark Lake. 2006. Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Corsi, Cristina, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. 2013. Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics: Non-Invasive Survey of Complex Archaeological Sites. Cham: Springer.
Ormsby et al. 2010. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. ESRI Press.
Suggested References and Further Introductory Readings:
Knowles, Anne Kelly (ed.). 2008. Placing history : how maps, spatial data, and GIS are changing historical scholarship. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.
Conolly, James and Mark Lake. 2006. Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Corsi, Cristina, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. 2013. Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics: Non-Invasive Survey of Complex Archaeological Sites. Cham: Springer.
SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION
Readings
Lilley, Keith D. 2011. "GIS, Spatial Technologies and Digital Mapping," in Research Methods for History, ed. Simon Gunn and Lucy Faire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 121-140.
In-class exercise: Exploring ArcMap and ArcCatalog; Symbolizing Features and Rasters (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapters 1-3)
Lilley, Keith D. 2011. "GIS, Spatial Technologies and Digital Mapping," in Research Methods for History, ed. Simon Gunn and Lucy Faire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 121-140.
In-class exercise: Exploring ArcMap and ArcCatalog; Symbolizing Features and Rasters (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapters 1-3)
WEEK 2 - SETTING UP AN HISTORICAL GIS
Readings
Gregory, Ian N. and Richard G. Healey. 2007. "Historical GIS: Structuring, Mapping and Analysing Geographies of the Past," Progress in Human Geography 31.5: 638-653.
Morris, R.J. 2011. "Document to Database and Spreadsheet," in Research Methods for History, ed. Simon Gunn and Lucy Faire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 141-163.
Conolly, James and Mark Lake. 2006. "The geodatabase," in Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 51-60.
In-class exercise: Building Geodatabases (Ormsby 2010, Chapter 14).
Gregory, Ian N. and Richard G. Healey. 2007. "Historical GIS: Structuring, Mapping and Analysing Geographies of the Past," Progress in Human Geography 31.5: 638-653.
Morris, R.J. 2011. "Document to Database and Spreadsheet," in Research Methods for History, ed. Simon Gunn and Lucy Faire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 141-163.
Conolly, James and Mark Lake. 2006. "The geodatabase," in Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 51-60.
In-class exercise: Building Geodatabases (Ormsby 2010, Chapter 14).
WEEK 3 - INTEGRATING HISTORIC MAPS
Readings
Jenny, Bernhard and Lorenz Hurni. 2011. "Studying Cartographic Heritage: Analysis and Visualization of Geometric Distortions," Computers & Graphics 402-411.
Cooper, David and Gary Priestnall. 2011. "The Processual Intertextuality of Literary Cartographies: Critical and Digital Practices," Cartographic Journal 48.4: 250-262.
In-class exercise: Georectification
Jenny, Bernhard and Lorenz Hurni. 2011. "Studying Cartographic Heritage: Analysis and Visualization of Geometric Distortions," Computers & Graphics 402-411.
Cooper, David and Gary Priestnall. 2011. "The Processual Intertextuality of Literary Cartographies: Critical and Digital Practices," Cartographic Journal 48.4: 250-262.
In-class exercise: Georectification
WEEK 4 - GENERATING AND CREATING SHAPEFILES
Readings
TBD
In-class exercise: Creating Features; Editing Features and Attributes; Querying Features; Analyzing Feature Relationships (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapters 15 & 16, 8, 12)
Due in class: Literature review #1
TBD
In-class exercise: Creating Features; Editing Features and Attributes; Querying Features; Analyzing Feature Relationships (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapters 15 & 16, 8, 12)
Due in class: Literature review #1
WEEK 5 - REMOTE SENSING
Readings
Part I: Remote Sensing in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 11-129.
In-class exercise: Landscape classification
Due in class: Literature review #2
Part I: Remote Sensing in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 11-129.
In-class exercise: Landscape classification
Due in class: Literature review #2
WEEK 6 - VIEWSHEDS
Readings
Wheatley, David. 2004. "Making Space for an Archaeology of Place," Internet Archaeology 15.
In-class exercise: Projecting Data in ArcMap (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 13); Creating models (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 20)
Due in class: Project proposal abstract
Wheatley, David. 2004. "Making Space for an Archaeology of Place," Internet Archaeology 15.
In-class exercise: Projecting Data in ArcMap (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 13); Creating models (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 20)
Due in class: Project proposal abstract
WEEK 7 - COST SURFACES
Readings
Ortiz-Coder, Pedro. "Creating and Analysing Digital Terrain Models for Archaeological Research," in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 227-244.
In-class exercise: Analyzing Spatial Data (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 12); Generating Routes and Paths
Due in class: Literature review #3
Ortiz-Coder, Pedro. "Creating and Analysing Digital Terrain Models for Archaeological Research," in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 227-244.
In-class exercise: Analyzing Spatial Data (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 12); Generating Routes and Paths
Due in class: Literature review #3
WEEK 8 - GIS, TEXTS, AND IMAGES
Readings
Selections from Moretti 2005, Graphs, Maps and Trees: Abstract Models for a Literary History
Due in class: Literature review #4
Selections from Moretti 2005, Graphs, Maps and Trees: Abstract Models for a Literary History
Due in class: Literature review #4
WEEK 9 - PRESENTING DATA EFFECTIVELY
Readings
Part IV: Visualisation and Site Management in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 255-315.
Selections from Staley 2003 Computers, Visualization, and History
In-class exercise: Making maps for presentation (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 19)
Due in class: Literature review #5
Part IV: Visualisation and Site Management in Good Practice in Archaeological Diagnostics, ed. Cristina Corsi, Božidar Slapšak and Frank Vermeulen. Cham: Springer, 255-315.
Selections from Staley 2003 Computers, Visualization, and History
In-class exercise: Making maps for presentation (Ormsby et al. 2010, Chapter 19)
Due in class: Literature review #5
WEEK 10 - SUPERVISED LAB TIME
Due in class: Literature review #6
WEEK 11 - SUPERVISED LAB TIME
Due in class: Literature review #7