Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Advances in Archeological Practice
Volume
11
Issue
2
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publication Date
1-31-2023
First Page
211
Last Page
223
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
Geospatial research in archaeology often relies on datasets previously collected by other archaeologists or third-party groups, such as state or federal government entities. This article discusses our work with geospatial datasets for identifying, documenting, and evaluating prehistoric and historic water features in the western United States. As part of a project on water heritage and long-term views on water management, our research has involved aggregating spatial data from an array of open access and semi-open access sources. Here, we consider the challenges of working with such datasets, including outdated or disorganized information, and fragmentary data. Based on our experiences, we recommend best practices: (1) locating relevant data and creating a data organization method for working with spatial data, (2) addressing data integrity, (3) integrating datasets in systematic ways across research cohorts, and (4) improving data accessibility.
Recommended Citation
Cohen, A., Cannon, M., & Jimenez, K. (2023). Challenges of Documenting Historic Water Systems: Integrating Open-Source Water Data with Archaeological Datasets in Utah. Advances in Archaeological Practice, 11(2), 211-223. doi:10.1017/aap.2022.34