Type of Culminating Activity

Graduate Student Project

Graduation Date

6-2011

Degree Title

Master of Applied Anthropology

Department

Anthropology

Major Advisor

Mark G. Plew

Abstract

Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers the field of Cultural Resource Management greater capacity in managing resources. New regression analysis tools recently released in ESRI ArcGIS software offer potential for determining more accurate statistical analyses of the relationships between cultural material and environmental variables. The contemporary trend of federal cultural resource managers and GIS analysts working with smaller budgets is to allocate fiscal resources for tools which will enable them to continue successfully managing their resource. ArcGIS software continues to be the industry standard in managing spatial data to accurately represent the existence, condition, and location of cultural material. With the recent inclusion of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Geographic Weighted Regression (GWR) tools in the ArcGIS software package, the potential exists for GIS archival project to go beyond data collection and management to accurately analyze spatial relationships.

This focus of this project is twofold. First, to provide a list of operational processes, to assess the feasibility of applying these new analysis tools to create a statistical significant correlation modeling for better management of cultural resources by improving the ability to locate sites. Second, this study will focus on testing the use and applicability of existing data within the Great Basin physiographic region where sample areas have been constructed, and assess their value towards modeling projects.

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