Archeology and GIS: the view from outside

Matthew Bampton

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1997, 8, 9-26

Abstract

The rapid spread of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology confronts archaeologists with a number of opportunities and several dilemmas. Presentations and discussions at the 1996 UISPP meeting in Forlì, Italy, suggested that the current contributions of GIS to archaeological zeitgeist mixes new analytical possibilities, new data management capacities and theoretical problems. The current debate surrounding these issues is useful, yet it ignores several important areas of discussion. Many of the peculiarities of spatial data and spatial analysis have so far been overlooked, as have the changing metaphors of time and space demanded by GIS. A host of entertaining possibilities await those prepared to explore some of the remoter horizons opened by GIS.

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