Midterm Study Guide
Spring 2015: Anthropology 128m Midterm Study Guide
Geospatial Archaeology
Midterm date: Thursday March 12 2015. The midterm is worth 30% of your grade. One-third of points on the midterm come from a 2-3 page essay that is a proposal for spatial research that represents your Final Project that is due the following class (March 17th). The other 2/3rd of the midterm points come from multiple choice and short answer (3-10 sentence) questions that you will answer in a blue book. Bring 1 or 2 blue books for the midterm.
We’ll be looking for clear, logical explanations supported by examples and evidence where appropriate. Try to define and explain as fully as possible including both parts of a two-part question. Show that you understand the issues and the answer. The questions will come from the reading assignments to date as well as class lectures and visiting lectures.
Example of concepts that may appear in the midterm requiring an explanation or an example.
Per Wheatley and Gillings name three things a GIS can do that makes it appealing to archaeologists?
Provide two examples of geographical transformations presented by Tobler that may be relevant to archaeological GIS
Explain how Dent argues that balance and visual weight work with organizational hierarchy to improve cartographic communication.
Define spatial autocorrelation and provide an archaeological example
Advantages of the TIN data model over raster
What is a GPS position’s Dilution of Precision (PDOP)?
Thematic maps
Agent-based simulation
Political Landscapes approach
Provide an archaeological example of topology in line data.
Explain the relationship between a coordinate system and a map datum.
What is Siteless survey?
Define metadata and provide an example
Fried-egg model distributions
Describe Kvamme’s use of rasters in investigating lithic scatters
What are some behavioral and geographical assumptions behind the calculation of Least-cost pathways
Does Ur find that GoogleEarth placemarks continue to be a threat to archaeological sites even at a distant, regional scale? Explain.
What are Scaffolding models?
Variables used by Prof. Kirch and colleagues in their locational modeling projects
Statistical extrapolation and true theories in predictive locational models.
What are the data requirements and the advantages of logistic regression in locational models?
Explain the continuum of value and significance in cultural resource management GIS.
Compare Getis Ord Gi* and local Moran’s I autocorrelation statistic.