GIS and GPS Utilization in Archaeological Survey at MCB ...

GIS and GPS Utilization in Archaeological Survey at MCB Quantico

John H. Haynes, M.A., R.P.A.Archaeologist

MCB, Quantico, NREA, NEPA Coordination Section

GIS and Background Study:

Setting the Context

Using categories for NRHP status fields, significant sites can be differentiated from non-eligible sites in planning.

Detailed information on archaeological surveys, including field methods and report references are stored in the attributes table. A quick sense of the amount of survey coverage can be gained by differentiating cursory pedestrian surveys

from systematic shovel testing by categorizing the survey area polygons.

Detailed, stunningly accurate half-meter contour topography is available for our Installation. Since these have been put in service several sites with surface features, such as mills and military trenches, have been tracked down.

Topo Survey

RUBBER-SHEETING

Making those old maps fit the times!

In 1861 General Samuel French made a carefully scaled sketch map of his main battery.

This was scanned scaled and matched with the landform.

Project area map, including known sites,

Area of Potential Effects, and

previous archaeological survey areas.

Like a window through time, georeferenced

aerial photography give a bird’s eye view of the

landscape in 1937. Land use, as well as direct evidence of

structures is of considerable use to

field survey.

Composite map of environmental

factors: Steep slope (shading), Soils with positive correlation

with prehistoric sites in the region,

distance to water (100 meters)

These factors, interpreted manually for identifying the amount of area, and locations, for systematic

shovel testing (though not to override field

observation).

GIS/GPS Utilization: Shovel Testing Survey On Inchon Trail

The project: upgrade foot

trail to vehicle trail

Background: No roads or buildings, and all wooded in

1937

Site predictors –small areas of level ground, but on a narrow ridge, not

very near water, and not on correlated

soils

Time to hit the trail…

…excavate

Record data in …

…fieldnotes

GPS readings are taken of test points,

or datum, and feature or site perimeters…

On more intensively investigated sites, shovel

tests, excavation squares, or surface finds are tape

measured on a grid system from a GPS located datum.

The grid can be oriented according to grid north, aided with two GPS data points, for a simple addition

or subtraction of the datum coordinates. Intensive GPS data

on one point tied to ground measured data is more consistent over a small areas. This allows

tie-in to field sketch maps.

Tape, pencil, graph paper, GPS, scanner, GIS: Old and New Data Collection

Field sketch incorporation into GIS maps (example from another project)

With the site grid coordinates converted to UTM on a data base, the shovel test information is entered into additional

fields, and imported into ArcView for a true Geographic Information System for

Archaeological field data.

This displays the type of test or observation, and finds if any in ArcMap…

…and is available for other analytic and graphic programs.

Effects to 44ST0663, a Middle Archaic site, were avoided, leaving it

intact for further study.

In 1608 Capt. John Smith and 15 explorers set out to map the

Chesapeake Bay and discover anything and everything that might make their

colony an economic success.

THE HUNT FOR MACHQUEON:

Smith’s 1608 Exploration of

QuanticoA special theme study

Upon entering the Potomac

River they were especially keen to investigate any possible

mineral resources. One

was the reported source

of a dark powder,

containing flakes of what appeared to be a silver metal

At Patawomeke, the Werowance gave Smith guides to the sources, up the Quiyough River, now known as Aquia Creek.

Leaving Patawomeke,

they ascended

Aquia Creek “so far as their

vessels could float.”

As in other places they explored, the map

bears a cross at their furthest

progress.

An account in 1612 says the party traveled 9 or 10 miles.

Smith’s later edition, in which he gives more detail about the Indian quarry,

quotes 7 or 8 miles

““The mine is a The mine is a great Rocky great Rocky

mountinemountine like like Antimony; Antimony;

whreinwhrein theytheydiggeddigged a great a great hole with shells hole with shells and hatchets: and hatchets: and hard by itand hard by it

runnethrunneth aa fayre fayre brookebrooke ofof

ChristalChristal--like like water water …”…”

and only one journey

described. Smith

describes the ore, used by the Natives

for war-paint, as

being like antimony.

This was undoubtedly Quantico slate, which isn’t metal at all, but composed

substantially of graphite. Nonetheless, it does give the appearance of metal,

perhaps even silver, as the explorers had hoped.

“…“…where they wash a way thewhere they wash a way the drossedrosse andandkeepekeepe the remainder, which they put in littlethe remainder, which they put in littlebaggsbaggs and sell it all over the country to paint and sell it all over the country to paint

therethere bodyesbodyes, Faces or Idols, Faces or Idols…”…”

Perhaps the party had split, there

are two crosses on the map,

Smith’s expedition

exploring the Chesapeake Bay is the subject of much research in preparation

for the establishment of

a unique national historic

water trail.

Quantico slate is found in limited areas,

limiting the potential location of the Indian

quarry

From descriptions, and map measurements, it appears that

Smith and company explored to two points on MCB Quantico.

This map includes site photos, captions, as well as direct plots from shape

files downloaded from the GPS of headstone

locations and the cemetery perimeter.

Public information, or formal report,

composite graphics bring various types of information together for a greater concept.

THE END(YOU MAY NOW REST IN PEACE)

End Note: Harrison Cemeteryca. 1706