Cited by 10Archaeological Research and ProtectionArchaeology and Cultural HeritageArchaeological and Geological Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; none of the 51 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Uso de Sistemas de Información Geográficos y análisis espacial en arqueología: Proyecciones y limitaciones

Open access
Araneda C, Edgardo·2002·Estudios Atacamenos

Abstract

En el presente artículo se estudia y se realiza un análisis crítico de la potencialidad de uso de los Sistemas de Información Geográficos (SIG) como herramienta para el estudio arqueológico sistemático de la prehistoria andina.Palabras clave : Sistemas de Información Geográficos; arqueología andina. Abstract This paper studies and carries out a critic analysis, about the use potential of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for systematic archaeological study of Andean prehistory.Palabras clave : Geographic Information Systems; Andean archaeology.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This article reviews the potential and limitations of GIS and spatial analysis for archaeology, with emphasis on Andean prehistory. It argues GIS can support systematic archaeological study, but only if used critically and with error treated as an inherent dimension of the tool.

Key findings

  • GIS is defined as a computer-assisted system for capturing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and displaying spatial information; archaeological applications are grouped into predictive modeling, simulation of past change, intra-site analysis, and database management.
  • Gourad’s online survey accepted 140 entries, with respondents concentrated in the USA (78), UK (12), Canada (11), and Australia (10); ArcView and ArcInfo led software use, PCs were the most common platform, and 33% had attended no formal GIS class, workshop, or seminar. Problematic operations were mainly data collection, data conversion, and data compatibility.
  • An Ontario predictive-modeling project reported that 75% of sites in the model matched current archaeological sites in the database.
  • The paper identifies common GIS errors: data collection/recording, manipulation/analysis, theoretical errors such as environmental determinism in predictive models, and interpretation/semantic errors; it concludes GIS results are only as good as the data used and that error should be incorporated as a layer in analysis.

Methods

  • Review/essay design: the paper builds a conceptual framework for GIS, reviews the historical use of spatial analysis and GIS in archaeology, and critically discusses advantages, disadvantages, applications, and epistemological issues.
  • Data sources: bibliographic literature and case examples (Ontario, Allen, Zubrow, Tell el-Umayri, Montana, etc.), plus Gourad’s 1999 online survey launched in April 1998 via over 2,000 emails and archaeology listservs; 140 entries were accepted, with some figures based on n=115.
  • Main analysis: qualitative synthesis and critique; no new primary archaeological fieldwork or original statistical analysis is reported.

Limitations

  • Stated: GIS outputs are limited by source-data quality; digitization, scanning, aerial photography, satellite classification, pixel size, algorithm differences, raster/vector conversion, and theoretical assumptions can introduce errors, and predictive models risk environmental determinism.
  • Stated: costs and maintenance, initial database investment, and the need to define objectives before acquiring complete systems are practical disadvantages.
  • Evident: the survey is a self-selected Internet sample with heavy US/English-language concentration (140 entries; n=115 for some figures), so it is not representative; the article is a secondary review relying heavily on Gourad (1999) and other sources, and its claim about Chilean/Andean GIS development is described as preliminary and imprecise.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.4067/s0718-10432002002200004

Cites

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 51 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

Show all 18 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 23
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 43
53 of 53
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los SIG son una herramienta de uso reciente en el campo de la arqueología.

    “En particular, se sabe que los Sistemas de Información Geográficos son una herramienta de uso reciente en el campo de la arqueología.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los grandes volúmenes de información que se levantan en las excavaciones hoy en día justifican el uso de SIG.

    “Por otro lado, los grandes volúmenes de información que se levantan en las excavaciones hoy en día, justifican su uso.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los restos arqueológicos tienen carácter deposicional y los asentamientos humanos prehistóricos distribucional.

    “El carácter deposicional de los restos arqueológicos, así como distribucional de los asentamientos humanos prehistóricos”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los resultados de los análisis de los SIG son solamente tan buenos como los datos usados para producirlos.

    “Los resultados de los análisis de los SIG son solamente tan buenos como los datos usados para producirlos.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los SIG han sido la principal herramienta que ha abordado la naturaleza disímil de la información geográfica.

    “En la actualidad, han sido los Sistemas de Información Geográficos (SIG) la principal herramienta que ha abordado la naturaleza disímil de la información geográfica.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Los restos arqueológicos tienen carácter depositacional y los asentamientos humanos prehistóricos tienen carácter distribucional.

    “Dado el carácter depositacional de los restos arqueológicos, así como distribucional de los asentamientos humanos prehistóricos”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    La tecnología es pasajera, a diferencia de los métodos que definimos para utilizarla.

    “La experiencia confirma que la tecnología es pasajera, a diferencia de los métodos que definimos para utilizarla.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Existe resistencia al uso de los SIG en arqueología, relacionada con el aporte de otras tecnologías introducidas en el pasado en la disciplina.

    “Es importante señalar, no obstante, que existe alguna resistencia a su uso, de acuerdo más que nada al aporte de otras tecnologías introducidas en el pasado en la disciplina”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    El C14 no es una medida precisa como se supuso en su introducción en 1940, sino una aproximación sujeta a una variedad de factores.

    “Es común pensar en la actualidad que el C 14 no es una medida precisa como se supuso en su introducción en 1940, sino más bien es una aproximación que está sujeta a una variedad de factores.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Muchos autores piensan que ha habido un abuso de teoría y métodos estadísticos.

    “De la misma manera, muchos autores piensan que ha habido un abuso de teoría y métodos estadísticos.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    En Chile existe actualmente un gran interés por descubrir la potencialidad de uso de los SIG, aunque su desarrollo ha sido escaso.

    “en estos momentos existe un gran interés por descubrir la potencialidad de uso de estas herramientas, aún cuando hasta el momento su desarrollo ha sido escaso.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Las personas involucradas con la información geográfica coinciden en que la tendencia hasta el presente ha sido dar demasiada importancia a las herramientas SIG.

    “En general, las personas involucradas con la información geográfica coinciden en afirmar que la tendencia existente hasta el presente ha sido la de dar demasiada importancia a las herramientas (”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    La jerga arqueológica es muy diferente de la geografía y la ciencia computacional.

    “La jerga arqueológica es muy diferente de la geografía y ciencia computacional.”
13 of 13

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Canada and UK rankings are reversed

    Minor

    The text ranks Canada ahead of the United Kingdom, while Table 1 lists 11 participants from Canada and 12 from the UK.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Still being checked.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. GOURAD, K., 1999. GIS in archaeology: A survey. Master of Arts Thesis. Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York. http:// research.hunter.cuny.edu/arch/survey.html
  2. RICE, D., 1987. La Nueva Arqueología. Tomado de The Wilson Quarterly.
  3. YOFEE, N. y A. SHERRAT, 1993. Archaeological theory: Who sets the agenda? N. Yofee y A. Sherrat (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

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Metadata

Authors
Araneda C, E.
Venue
Estudios Atacamenos
Published
2002
Issue
22
ISSN
  • 0716-0925 (ISSN-L)
  • 0718-1043
OpenAlex
W2149766557
Cited by
10
References
0
Citations by year
2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 1
FWCI
1.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Estudios Atacameños Arqueología y antropología surandinas (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) (publishedVersion)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Archeology › Archaeological Research and Protection
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Archaeological and Geological Studies
Keywords
geographic information systems, spatial analysis, archaeological site investigation, Andean prehistory, archaeological survey

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