Issues of Access Does Publicly Available GIS Information Help or Hinder the Archaeological Record?

For the 2010 SAA / DDIG Electronic Symposium

Sara Ayers-Rigsby

Abstract

Many State Historic Preservation Offices, such as the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) have made archaeological data and GIS maps of site locations available online. In many cases, access to these databases is limited to archaeology professionals, and the general public can only view a soft version where site locations are not given, and artifacts are not specifically mentioned. These databases are an invaluable tool for the CRM professional. In addition, while they inform the general public about loosely defined ‘archaeologically sensitive areas,’ they do not go further than that and provide no guidance for the avocational archaeologist or history buff that is acting in accordance with the law. This paper addresses who the current users of these systems are, and how they can be improved to promote archaeology and attract a wider audience.

Download full paper (here).