ANTH 137a GIS: Mapping Culture from Land, Air and Space

M/W, 3:30 – 4:50pmSPRING 2019

Charles Golden,cgolden@brandeis.edu

781-736-2217Office Hours: T/F 12:30 – 1:30pm or by appointment

Course DescriptionThis course is designed to train advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the methods needed for the successful application of Geographical Information Systems {GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies in archaeology using ArcGIS software. Each student will design and present their own geodatabase that they will be able to build upon in future research.

Introduction, Aims, and ObjectivesIn the past two decades, the use of GIS in archaeology has expanded exponentially as software has become more accessible and the power of personal computers have increased. What was once a technological specialization has become standard practice on archaeological projects. However, it is important to understand the biases created by both spatial data resolution and GIS analytical procedures so that an informed decision can be made regarding appropriate methods for investigating archaeological problems. Remote sensing technologies have been used in archaeology since aerial photography was incorporated into research plans following World War I. A recent expansion in technology in the forms of high-resolution, multispectral satellite imagery, as well as new Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) have provided a wealth of new data for archaeologists to incorporate into their investigations.

1

The aims of this course are threefold. First,it will provide you with some basic software skills in GIS and RS that you can expand upon as you move forward in your archaeology careers.Second, it will help you critically examine the different ways in which scholars incorporate GIS/RS into their research. Finally, you will learn to build a functioning geodatabase that can be used in research, including any independent research projects you may wish to undertake (remember that many data sets are freely available online).

In order to achieve these aims you must attend class and complete the assignments, of course. However, you should also be aware that there will be a significant workload outside of classroom hours. Note that, following university-wide standards, success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.). This course will require you to use those hours for computer analysis and modeling, on either library computers or your home machine. Student copies of ArcGIS that you may install on your personal machines will be provided for the duration of this course at no charge.

I will provide a general introduction to a specific topic for each course meeting, and course readings will be discussed, but much class time will also be used to hone your software skills. Each week you will write brief response papers to assigned readings in addition to your lab assignments. Over the course of the semester you will design your own GIS that you will be able to build upon at the end of the semester. At the end of the course you will give a PowerPoint presentation of aspects of your GIS research and hand in a paper discussing your work during the semester as well as what other types of GIS-based research you would conduct in the future.

By the end of the course you should be able to: Understand the basic principles of GIS and RS Have moderate library research and computer methodological skills in GIS/RS

applications Be able to critically evaluate literature that discusses GIS Have a functional GIS that you can potentially build upon in future research

Course RequirementsAttendance in class is required. Any more than one unexcused absences during the course of the semester will result in the loss of a letter grade from class participation for each additional absence. Reading for each class is to be completed prior class time. Assignments and readings build upon one another and you will quickly fall behind if you miss class. In addition to attendance, there will be weekly lab write-ups, one presentation, and one research paper that will be used to determine your grade in the course.

Description of AssignmentsA number of assignments will be used to evaluate your progress in the course. The weekly assignments in this class rely extensively on computer technology. It is your responsibility to

2

give yourself adequate time for any sort of software, hardware, or peripheral malfunction that may come up during your lab time. ArcGIS is prone to crashing, especially when performing complex analyses. Save Often! Technical problems are not considered a reasonable excuse for submitting late assignments. All assignments should be submitted as PDFs via the LATIE course site. The maps that you export from your GIS should be inserted into Word documents, which you should then print to/save as a PDF file. The final assignments for this course are a 10-12 page research paper based on your personal GIS that you will build over the semester and an accompanying presentation.

Statement on Late AssignmentsLate assignments are unacceptable in this course since each lab builds upon previous work and knowledge. Weekly write-ups are graded on a scale of 1to 100. The write-ups assigned each week are due the following Monday by 5:00 PM so that I have time to read and grade them before class on Tuesday. Late assignments will receive a 15-point deduction if submitted after 5pm but before midnight, and 30 points if submitted between midnight and the start of class. Any assignment turned in after class receives no credit without prior approval or extenuating circumstances.

Please communicate with me concerning anything that might require an extension. Extensions on assignments will only be given if the professor or course assistant are notified ahead of time of an existing conflict that would prevent submission, or there is an emergency that warrants such an extension. No extensions or make-ups are given because of conflicts with assignments or exams in other classes.

GRADE COMPONENTS Assignment % of Grade Due DateAttendance 15% DailyWeekly Write Ups 40% By 5:00 pm each MondayResearch Paper/GIS 30% April 25 in ClassResearch Presentation 15%

GRADING:A grade of "A" means "excellent" - the work is of superior quality and represents insightful, well-considered, and well-written/produced research & write-up. A grade of "A" typically represents a great deal of effort, but effort alone does not guarantee an "A." A grade of "B" means "good" - the work fulfills all of the assignment instructions and adequately presentswell-written, well-researched work. "C" means "average" - the work submitted fulfills the letter of the assignment, but lacks sufficient quality of research and/or presentation that would warrant a higher grade. A grade of "D" represents work that is unsatisfactory and has not fulfilled the stated goals of the assignment, while an "E" is a failing grade resulting from work that is incomplete, incoherent, or otherwise unacceptable given the guidelines for the assignment.

DOCUMENTED DISABILITIES3

If are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately. Accommodations will not be granted retroactively.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITYYou are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University's policies on academic integrity (see http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/srcs/rr/).

ReadingsThere is one book required for this course, by Conolly and Lake listed below. You should bring Conolly and Lake to each class meeting for reference. In addition to this text there will be additional articles to read for the course, which may be found on the course website. You should keep in mind that your GIS is a semester-long project. This means if we do an exercise in lab that you feel would be particularly helpful in your own research, then you should try to obtain more literature on the subject sooner rather than later.

Required BooksConolly, James, and Mark Lake2006 Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Some useful resources:The Nature of Geographic Information: An Open Geospatial TextbookDavid DiBiase with contributions by James L. Sloan II, Ryan Baxter, Wesley Stroh, Beth Fletcher King, and many studentshttps://www.e-education.psu.edu/natureofgeoinfo/

All additional readings will be available on Latte.

Course ScheduleWed, January 16Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing in ArchaeologyReadings: Ormsby et al. 2010: Chapters 3& 4;

Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapters 1& 2Lab: The Search for Amelia Earhart

Tueday, January 22 & Wed, January 23Readings: Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapter 3Lab: Basic Map Presentation (Ormsby et al. 2010: Chapters 5-7)Assignment: Read on databases (Conolly and Lake 2006 : Chapter 4); Case Studies: GIS in Archaeology

Monday, January 28 & Wednesday, January 304

Readings: Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapters 7-8 Kvamme2006 .pdf

Lab: Basic Analyses (Ormsby et al. 2010: Chapters 10-13) Assignment: Case Studies: GIS/RS Websites

Monday, February 4 & Wednesday, February 6Readings: Byers 1967,

Review Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapter 5Lab: Digitizing Tehuacan (handout)Assignment: Tehuacan Lab Write-up (Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapter 13)

Monday, February 11 & Wednesday, February 13Readings: Krist and Brown 1994,

Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapters 9-11Lab: The Caribou Hunt (handout)Assignment: Viewsheds (Line-of-Sight) and Cost Surfaces (Madry and Rakos

1996; Tschan et al. 2000; Van Leusen 2002; Wheatley and Gillings 2000)

Monday, February 18 & Wednesday, February 20NO CLASS, WINTER BREAK

Monday, February 25 & Wednesday, February 27Readings: Read for your projectLab: Visualizing Survey Data Part I: Sangro Valley (handout) Assignment: Critique of 3D modeling and ArcScene

Mondary, March 4 & Wednesday, March 6Readings: Read for your projectLab: Visua lizing Survey Data Part II: Bejucal and San Bartolo (handout) Assignment: Critique of Survey Data in ArcGIS

Monday, March 11 & Wednesday, March 13Lab: Drone Data Collection on Campus

Monday, March 18 & Wednesday, March 20Lab: Drone Data Processing Assignment: Making Maps

Monday, March 25 & Wednesday, March 27Readings: Conolly and Lake 2006: Chapter 10

Gaffney et al. 1996Minetti et al. 2002

Lab: Site Catchments and Regional Territories in Euboea, Greece (handout) Assignment: Lab write-up

5

Monday, April 1 & Wednesday, April 3 Readings: Doyle et al2012.pdf Lab: Viewshed Analysis Assignment: Lab write-up

Monday, April 8 & Wednesday, April 10Lab: Supervised project lab time, Final Paper/Presentation

Monday, April 15 & Wednesday, April 17Lab: Supervised project lab time, Final Paper/Presentation

Monday, April 22 & Wednesday, April 24NO CLASS, SPRING / PASSOVER BREAK

Monday, April 29 & Wednesday, May 1Final Presentations Final Papers Due

6

PRELIMINARY READINGS LISTDoyle, J. et al.2012 Watchful realms: integrating GIS ana lysis a nd political history in the southern Maya lowlands. Antiquity 86: 792-807.

Gaffney, VL,Z Stancic, J Farley et al.1993 Geographical Information Systems, Territorial Analysis and Prehistoric Agriculture on the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia. In Actes du Xlle Congres International des Sciences Pre- et Protohistoriques, Bratislava, 1-7 Septembre 1991, edited by M. Fabis, I. Kuzma and K.Markova, pp. 407-415. Bratislava: lnstitut archeologique de l'Academie Slovaque des Sciences a Nitra .

Ormsby, et al.2010 Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. ESRI Press. Redlands, CA.

Kvamme, Kenneth L.2006 Magnetometry: Nature's Gift to Archaeology. In Remote Sensing in Archaeology, edited by Jay K. Johnson, pp. 206-233. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.

Madry, SLH and L Rakos1996 Line-of-sight and cost-surface techniques for regional research in the Arroux River valley, in HD Maschner ed.,New Methods, Old Problems. Geographic Information Systems in Modern Archaeological Research (Southern Illinois University Center for Archaeological Investigations Occasional Paper 23}: 104-126.

Minetti,A. E.,Moia, C., Roi, G.S., Susta, D.,Ferretti, G.,2002 Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes.Journal of Applied Physiology 93: 1039-1046.

Tschan,AP, W. Raczkowski and M. Latalowa2000 Perception and viewsheds: are they mutually inclusive? In Beyond the Map: Archaeology and spatial technologies, edited by G. Lock, pp. 28-48. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

Van Leusen, M.2002 Pattern to process: methodological investigations into the formation and interpretation of spatial patterns in archaeological landscapes. Doctoral Thesis. University of Utrecht.

Wheatley, David and Mark Gillings2000 Vision, perception and GIS: developing enriched approaches to the study of archaeological visibility. In Beyond the Map: Archaeology and Spatial Technologies, edited by G. Lock, pp. 1-27. IOS Press, Amsterdam.