Info

Using GIS To Integrate Available Data On Surface Geology For Archaeological Modeling In Iowa Stream Valleys

The Landscape Model for Archaeological Site Suitability (LANDMASS) is being developed by the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist in partnership with USDA-Rural Development, with funding from the Federal Highway Administration administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation. The model leverages over 30 years of archaeological survey to determine where archaeological sites are, and are not, likely to be found in the Iowa landscape. As part of this project, LANDMASS staff have compiled a GIS that records point locations and descriptive data for nearly 5000 drill holes, outcrops, and excavations of alluvial sediments in Iowa. The data are primarily from unpublished or poorly disseminated reports on archaeological investigations excavation in Iowa, much of it obtained by geoscience specialists working as consultants to archaeologists. The database characterizes sediments in terms of lithology, weathering, and soil formation. A lithofacies approach is used to identify fluvial depositional environments. The GIS was developed as a decision support tool to be used in needs-determination and planning of archaeological surveys. The usefulness of the database can be assessed by comparison with other forms of subsurface data including NRCS soils map units, the Iowa Geological Survey’s GEOSAM, and geotechnical borings done for IDOT road projects.