Application of GIS Technologies in Archaeological Research
Keywords:
GIS, archaeology, spatial analysis, archaeological landscape, remote sensing, QGIS, QField, Samarkand, Zarafshan Valley, cultural heritageAbstract
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become an important methodological tool in contemporary archaeological research because they enable researchers to integrate, visualize, analyze, and interpret archaeological data in their spatial context. This article examines the application of GIS technologies in archaeological research, with particular attention to spatial analysis, archaeological mapping, remote sensing, digital elevation models, landscape reconstruction, and cultural heritage monitoring. The study is based on a review of scholarly literature on archaeological GIS and an analysis of practical archaeological research conducted in Uzbekistan, particularly within the Uzbek-Italian Archaeological Project (UIAP) in the Samarkand region. The research applies descriptive, comparative, cartographic, and spatial-analytical approaches to identify the principal applications and methodological advantages of GIS in archaeology.
References
[1] M. Gillings, P. Hacigüzeller, and G. Lock, Eds., Archaeological Spatial Analysis: A Methodological Guide. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2020.
[2] J. Conolly and M. Lake, Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
[3] D. W. Wheatley and M. Gillings, Spatial Technology and Archaeology: The Archaeological Applications of GIS. London, U.K.: Taylor & Francis, 2002.
[4] J. H. Parcak, “GIS, remote sensing, and landscape archaeology,” in The Oxford Handbook of Topics in Archaeology. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2017.
[5] F. Menéndez-Marsh et al., “Geographic Information Systems in Archaeology: A Systematic Review,” Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 40–50, 2023, doi: 10.5334/jcaa.104.
[6] J. Casana, “Rethinking the landscape: Emerging approaches to archaeological remote sensing,” Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 50, pp. 167–186, 2021, doi: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-101819-110344.
[7] D. A. White, “The basics of least cost analysis for archaeological applications,” Advances in Archaeological Practice, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 407–414, 2015, doi: 10.7183/2326-3768.3.4.407.
[8] M. Gillings and D. Wheatley, “GIS-based visibility analysis,” in Archaeological Spatial Analysis: A Methodological Guide, M. Gillings, P. Hacigüzeller, and G. Lock, Eds. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2020, pp. 313–332.
[9] T. Brughmans and M. A. Peeples, “Spatial networks,” in Archaeological Spatial Analysis: A Methodological Guide, M. Gillings, P. Hacigüzeller, and G. Lock, Eds. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2020, pp. 273–295.
[10] M. Kempf, “The application of GIS and satellite imagery in archaeological land-use reconstruction: A predictive model?” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol. 25, pp. 116–128, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.03.035.
[11] B. Rondelli and M. Tosi, “GIS and Silk Road studies: Monitoring landscape and population change at Samarkand and in the Middle Zeravshan Valley,” in Reading Historical Spatial Information from around the World, 2006, pp. 459–489.
[12] S. Mantellini and A. E. Berdimuradov, “The archaeological and historical heritage of Samarkand: An overview from the Uzbek-Italian Expedition 2001–2016,” in Archaeology of Uzbekistan During the Years of Independence: Progress and Perspectives, 2016, pp. 60–63.
[13] S. Mantellini, S. Suyunov, V. Orru, E. Serrone, and S. Facciani, “Archaeological survey along the Karatyube Piedmont, Samarkand: Preliminary results of the 2019 and 2021 UIAP field seasons,” O‘zbekiston Arxeologiyasi, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 16–31, 2022, doi: 10.71414/2181-032X-2022-2-27-16-31.
[14] S. Mantellini, S. A. Cecatiello, S. Facciani, V. Orrù, E. Serrone, and S. Suyunov, “Il progetto archeologico italo-uzbeko ‘Samarcanda e il suo territorio’,” OCNUS, no. 33, pp. 307–314, 2025, doi: 10.12876/OCNUS3334.
[15] J. Li et al., “A review of artificial intelligence and remote sensing for archaeological research,” Remote Sensing, vol. 14, no. 23, Art. no. 6000, 2022.
