It is becoming standard practice within the archaeological profession to utilize a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach to the documentation of cultural resources.  Many agencies now require, as part of each contract, that GIS files be produced that can be easily merged with the agency's own database to more efficiently keep track of the resources they are responsible for.  One of the technical specialties we have to offer is the ability to produce shapefiles from your field maps for submission to the local federal agencies (such as the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service).

We utilize ESRI's ArcGIS mapping software to produce all of our own maps and GIS databases.  We are also able to perform statistical analyses and construct modeling applications using GIS datasets.  The sidebar shows a sample from a landform classification routine we developed for southwestern Colorado that was initially used to perform some basic cultural resource predictive modeling.  This classification system categorized topography into large-scale landforms such as basins, mesas, rims and ridges, scarps, slopes, and valley bottoms.  This constitutes another technical specialty we can offer to our customers:  The ability to integrate GIS data into our statistical analysis and modeling offerings.

So if you need to produce some shapefiles but don't have the equipment or the expertise to do so, give us a call and we will do the work for you.  Or if you have some GIS-based analyses you need done or just some maps made, let us use our skills to produce results you can use and be proud to present.