1. 6 December 2007 Intro to GIS GCSU Geography Research Performed by : Dr. Jeff Blick GIS Analysis/Presentation Performed by: Hope Hopkins

2.  To perform a GIS analysis on Pre-Columbian Settlements found on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. The purpose of this analysis will be to:  help identify abundances in particular ecological sites  use spatial references to establish a Settlement Pattern Analysis  both will help with Anthropological questions and also with the indication of the location of future sites.

3.  Put on Different Layers  Prehistoric Sites (Red Dots)  ‘prehistoric_sites’; 556-1500ADHistoric Sites (Yellow Dots)  ‘colonial_sites’; late 1700s-1900AD  Total Land Area of Island (sq.km)  163km2?  Settlement Pattern Analysis  Prehistoric site density per 1500 meters (approx. 1 mile)  Distance Between Sites  Point Distance  Buffer Analysis to Indicate What Resources are Within the Radius  500m  1000m  1500m  Trends in vegetation or marine ecosystems indicating locations of future unexcavated sites.  Site Proximity of 1500m  Agriculturally Disturbed Area (Soil Fertility?)  Freshwater Wetlands  Lake or Pond?

4. 1. Load archeological_sites from X:\DATA\Bahamas\featureclasses 2. Use selection menu to select features including those classified as ‘prehistoric’ 3. Export data to create new layer and shapefile titled ‘prehistoric_sites’ 4. Deselect features 5. Select attributes for ‘colonial sites’ 6. Export data to create new later and shape file title ‘colonial_sites’

5.  Total Land Area: Previously calculated as approximately 163km2  New calculation performed at request of Dr. Blick for actual land area estimate excluding tidal creek, lakes and wetlands  Result: Approx. 94km2

6. ‘Near’ Sp join

7.  Add Data for ‘prehistoric_sites’  Add buffer using analysis tools, proximity, buffer- 1500m  Add shapefiles as necessary  Ex: ‘vegetation’  Identity tool  Analysis tools, overlay, identity  Enter properties file of shapefile and under symbology-  Categories, value field-’type’

12.  After creating the new layers for Pre-Historic sites and Colonial Sites, various applications were used with the ‘prehistoric_sites layer’ and shapefile.  The total land area calculated excluding wetlands, lakes and tidal creek is 94km2.  Using ‘Spatial Join’, the number of sites within 1500m of one another, averaging 3 sites per 1500m  Buffers indicate resources within a 1500m area.  Using ‘near’ function, distances between sites and other sites were noted:  Avg. Distance= 979m  Avg. Shortest Distance=844m  Pre-Historic Sites showed the trends:  Located within 1500m area of agriculturally disturbed areas, perhaps an indication of soil fertitlity  Located within 1500m area of marshes  Located within 1500m of water resource-lake or pond, particularly ponds as they are more numerous in dispersion. There is much more research to be performed- The analysis of this information more thoroughly could answer many question about the past.