Anthropology Commons^™

Challenges Of Documenting Historic Water Systems Integrating Open-Source Water Data With Archaeological Datasets In Utah, Anna S. Cohen, Molly Boeka Cannon, Kelly N. Jimenez

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Geospatial research in archaeology often relies on datasets previously collected by other archaeologists or third-party groups, such as state or federal government entities. This article discusses our work with geospatial datasets for identifying, documenting, and evaluating prehistoric and historic water features in the western United States. As part of a project on water heritage and long-term views on water management, our research has involved aggregating spatial data from an array of open access and semi-open access sources. Here, we consider the challenges of working with such datasets, including outdated or disorganized information, and fragmentary data. Based on our experiences, we …