Session Proposal = – THATCamp CAANA 2012 – Computer Applications in Archaeology North America

On-site photography

jmuccigr — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:03:55 +0000

Curious about the options for using on-site photography as a data-collection method for 3D, whether into GIS or models of interesting features. I’m thinking about everything from aerial photography to using applications like Photomodeler.

Not doing much myself, so I’m interested in learning.

Project Review for Historic and Cultural Resources

mmr03 — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:33:24 +0000

My job includes reviewing transportation projects for impacts to historic and cultural resources. Here in Connecticut our data is quite scattered, and I find it quite time consuming to do any kind of “complete” analysis. We have our highways, soils, topo. maps, and archaeological site locations in GIS. We have our archaeological site information in Access. To find properties or districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places I use the online database on the National Park Service website. To look at historic maps I use those that I have downloaded from the University of Connecticut or CT State Library websites and imported into GIS. I use the Bing birds-eye and Google street-view maps available online to “walk around” a project area if I don’t have a chance to get out and do some actual field review. Is there anyone out there who has streamlined this process? Or perhaps has other ideas about how to do this kind of initial review for Section 106/NEPA/Section 4(f)/etc? My job is also, in addition to making a recommendation to the SHPO, providing a series of maps that gives a view of the project area through time while also portraying its potential historic and/or archaeological sensitivity. I’m curious to know how other people may do this.

GIS Help

lebrowning — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 01:57:48 +0000

I’ve used the 15′ quads for Pittsylvania County, VA, imported them into CAD and placed a symbol over each structure and organized them in layers and saved them as shapefiles. Then I’ve pulled them into QGIS and can query those. But what I want to be able to do is to work with Census data, economic data and other info that I’ve accumulated that is or will be tabular and stored in Excel and/or Filemaker Pro for use. What I’d really like is to see how all of that can be mashed and bashed into some form that QGIS can use to pull out subsets of things.

Pattern Recognition

lebrowning — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 01:49:58 +0000

What I could really use is some form of pattern recognition software that uploads a 30′ and/or 15′ USGS quad sheet and recognizes the railroad symbol and then creates a shape that superimposes itself upon it that can then be uploaded into a CAD or GIS program to map the hundreds of miles of RR lines no longer used. There are georeferenced 15′ quads and for those not yet done, there’s always enough info on one to do that the hard way so the hope would be to have the whole works more or less automated.

Actual artifacts versus Virtual Objects

bkmeans — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:38:47 +0000

As I sit here creating a replica (using a MakerBot replicator) of a Fort Ancient effigy pipe from a digital file loaned to me, I am interested in discussing how others use and view virtual objects in terms of public archaeology, research collaboration, and issues with creating and sharing not only digital files, but replicas from digital files as well.

Looking forward to THATCamp!

Bernard K. Means