Undergraduate Course: GIS for Archaeologists (ARCA10086)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to the use of Geographical Information Systems in archaeology. It will provide a global perspective of current applications covering data acquisition, spatial analysis, and cartographic visualization. Students will become practiced users of the open-source platform QGIS while developing critical skills on the use of GIS within archaeological projects. |
| Course description |
The course will explore the key methodological and technical aspects of archaeological GIS. Through a mixture of lectures, practicals, and projects the students will learn to identify and interpret the spatial patterns found in the archaeological record using a multi-scalar perspective (from individuals to sites to regions). They will also become aware of the potentials and limitations of GIS specifically linked to the study of the past.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Data Science for the Past: from points to pictures (ARCA10105)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
GIS and Spatial Analysis for Archaeologists (PGHC11460)
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Other requirements | Archaeology 2A and 2B, or Honours entry to degrees in Classics, or equivalent.
Similar courses from other schools can be considered as a pre-requisite with permission from the course organiser e.g. Data Science for Geographers (GEGR10130), Data Analysis for Psychology in R (1, 2 and/or 3). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Archaeology courses at Grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
Any visiting students must demonstrate that they have taken a previous course/lessons in statistics/data science and have a good understanding of R and/or Python computing languages and environments.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the CAHSS Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 11,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
Research project plan: 500-word equivalent (30%)
3000 word GIS research project (70%): 50% (35% overall weight) individual contribution mark and 50% (35% overall weight) overall project group mark |
| Feedback |
Students will have the opportunity receive verbal feedback during each practical and written feedback for the assessment following standard Learn procedures. They will also have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours or by appointment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate the ability to create and manage a GIS project integrating archaeological and geographical data;
- demonstrate the ability to understand and critically analyse current applications of GIS in archaeology;
- demonstrate the ability to apply a wide range of methods to identify spatial patterns in archaeological data;
- demonstrate critical understanding of the issues surrounding the investigation, interpretation and display of spatial dynamics and their links to social behavior;
- demonstrate knowledge on the uses of GIS within wider archaeological contexts.
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Reading List
"QGIS Training Manual -- QGIS Documentation." https://docs.qgis.org/3.28/en/docs/training_manual/index.html.
Beavan, Andrew, and Mark Lake, eds. Computational Approaches to Archaeological Spaces. New York: Routledge, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315431932.
Conolly, James, and Mark Lake. Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511807459.
Streatfeild-James, Jake. "QGIS for Archaeologists: Getting Started." BAJR Practical Guide Series 42. BAJR, 2016. http://www.bajr.org/BAJRGuides/42_QGIS_StarterGuide/42_BAJR_Guide_QGIS.pdf. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
gather, integrate, and critically assess relevant information
extract key elements and meanings from complex data sets
answer a research question by developing a reasoned argument based on quantitative analysis
present their ideas and analyses in a coherent fashion
work with others to produce co-created research outputs |
| Keywords | GIS,Geographic Information Services,Geospatial,Mapping |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sam Leggett
Tel:
Email: Sam.Leggett@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Claire Brown
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: cbrown20@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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