Mapping
Photo taken by Lizzy Baker, AN220, Fall 2017
Making a map that identifies past human action on a landscape is an essential archaeological skill. Recording artifact and site locations and drawing a sketch and location map with GIS software: (1) contributes to preserving and protecting a site, (2) is essential for interpreting the site as a part of a large human and environmental landscape, and (3) informs our interpretations of past human decisions and actions. Making a map is a work of science and art.
Learning Objective: You will attain a skill level sufficient for producing the sketch maps and location maps using a GPS and GIS software necessary to report the results of archaeological field survey work.
Map requirements:
2019 Pulpit Rock Park, CC01 Class II Survey
T.99N., R99E., Section 99
USGS Quadrangle: Rito Alto, CO
X Ranger District or supervising land managing agency
City, County, State
See: Sample maps in Canvas/Dropbox for examples and review How to Read a Topo Map
Location Maps must use a 1:24,000 scale
SYMBOLOGY:
Buildings/features: black rectilinear outlines (label features in the map in addition to the legend: Feature 1, possible chimney)
Site boundary: black polygon with smooth edges
Trash scatter: black polygon with pattern inside
Glass: Dot, green
Metal scrap: triangle, gray
Wood scrap: brown square
Ephemeral Wash: diagonal black lines, no border, slanting left
Contour lines: brown with elevation in line
Perennial stream: blue line
Intermittent stream: blue dashed line
Trees: green, symbol as preferred
Linear feature: red, dashed line
mining pit: brown octagon
Survey area: black enclosed polygon with diagonal lines
FILE MANAGEMENT:
At the end of the block, your GIS files will become part of the field work record. Please organize your projects, shapefiles, and maps so that others (in weeks or years) will be able to open up your map or use your shapefiles to produce other maps or make corrections/additions to yours.
Learning Objective: You will attain a skill level sufficient for producing the sketch maps and location maps using a GPS and GIS software necessary to report the results of archaeological field survey work.
Map requirements:
- Descriptive title, example (12 point font):
2019 Pulpit Rock Park, CC01 Class II Survey
T.99N., R99E., Section 99
USGS Quadrangle: Rito Alto, CO
X Ranger District or supervising land managing agency
City, County, State
- Map scale (meters or kilometers, use numbers set at traditional break points such as 50, 100, 150 meters, not 35, 80 meters). Use meters. Distance numbers on top of scale bar.
- North arrow, datum (if present), scale (e.g., 1:24,000 ft for location maps)
- Name of the map author (or mapping team) and the date map produced
- Graticules (use even numbers; match northing/easting increments). Reduce number from the sketch map to the location and survey maps
- Legend: explains all symbols that appear on the map (use USGS map symbols as available and see below) - no box around legend for simplicity
- Sufficient detail to find the location and describe the features or location of the artifacts
- 8" x 11", portrait page orientation preferred
- inset location maps for Location and Survey maps; not needed for Sketch maps
- First and Last name and date map produced, but below north arrow.
See: Sample maps in Canvas/Dropbox for examples and review How to Read a Topo Map
Location Maps must use a 1:24,000 scale
SYMBOLOGY:
Buildings/features: black rectilinear outlines (label features in the map in addition to the legend: Feature 1, possible chimney)
Site boundary: black polygon with smooth edges
Trash scatter: black polygon with pattern inside
Glass: Dot, green
Metal scrap: triangle, gray
Wood scrap: brown square
Ephemeral Wash: diagonal black lines, no border, slanting left
Contour lines: brown with elevation in line
Perennial stream: blue line
Intermittent stream: blue dashed line
Trees: green, symbol as preferred
Linear feature: red, dashed line
mining pit: brown octagon
Survey area: black enclosed polygon with diagonal lines
FILE MANAGEMENT:
At the end of the block, your GIS files will become part of the field work record. Please organize your projects, shapefiles, and maps so that others (in weeks or years) will be able to open up your map or use your shapefiles to produce other maps or make corrections/additions to yours.
rubric
Exceeds expectations: The map contains all the required items listed above. The map is an accurate representation of the site. The map balances the need for detail and the requirement of simplicity. The map is aesthetically pleasing.
Meets expectations: The map contains all or most of the required items listed above. The map is a mostly accurate representation of the site. The map struggles with balancing the need for detail and the requirement of simplicity. The map works but lacks aesthetic qualities.
Does not meet expectations: The map contains most of the required items above. The map contains inaccurate depictions of the site. The map does not successfully balance the need for detail and the requirement of simplicity. The map is not visually appealing.
Meets expectations: The map contains all or most of the required items listed above. The map is a mostly accurate representation of the site. The map struggles with balancing the need for detail and the requirement of simplicity. The map works but lacks aesthetic qualities.
Does not meet expectations: The map contains most of the required items above. The map contains inaccurate depictions of the site. The map does not successfully balance the need for detail and the requirement of simplicity. The map is not visually appealing.
