Establishing a GIS database for Sedgwick County archaeology.
Citation
Merkel, Errol D. (2007). Establishing a GIS database for Sedgwick County archaeology .In Proceedings : 3rd Annual Symposium : Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects. Wichita, KS : Wichita State University, p.153-154
Abstract
This multifaceted project primarily concerns the establishment of a Geographical Information System (GIS) database
for the archaeology of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The database documents archaeological sites and surveys conducted in the
county by the WSU City Archaeologist program and other entities. Documentation has been accomplished using ArcGIS
software by ESRI and a digitizing tablet. This spatially locates the known sites and previously conducted surveys and includes
the accompanying attributes of each of them. The final product is an electronic record keeping system for the WSU Wichita City
Archaeologist Office. The paper records maintained for the past three decades had acquired many errors. The WSU and Kansas
State Historical Society records have been coordinated and corrected. Inclusion of soil and vegetation type data provides the
foundation for future growth of modeling prehistoric site distribution and findings are already showing promise. Modeling will
allow professors, university students, and city, county, and state planners to study impact on finite cultural resources. The GIS
project can function as a resource allocation tool. Limited survey and investigation capacity can be efficiently distributed toward
the effort of cultural resource management. The project has an unlimited lifespan. Records are now easily maintained and
updated. Inter-office data transfer can be performed electronically and with high accuracy. Adapting to advancing technology
has been facilitated with conversion to digital files.
Description
Paper presented to the 3rd Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex, Wichita State University, April 27, 2007.
Research completed at the Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.