Internet Archaeol. 16. Trick. A GIS approach

6.0 A GIS Approach

A GIS solution is conducive to constructing rigorous methods for investigating visibility. Viewpoints can be defined and analysis conducted from each. Visibility, or 'viewshed' maps communicate visible areas in a reproducible form. By default they are field-of-view maps, offering a holistic appreciation of visibility, avoiding more 'selective' viewing possible through photographic methods. Importantly, viewshed maps are measurable, and allow viewpoints to be given attributes relating to sensory experience of landscape. Viewshed maps can be overlaid on themes such as topography, palaeo-channels, archaeological distributions, or other themes. The relationship of the visible areas to these landscape components can be immediately, informally, visually assessed. GIS is therefore considered an appropriate tool with which to investigate basic questions regarding the dimensions of visibility from tells.

However, I would also stress that GIS is not a simple, lab-based panacea for landscape studies, displacing the need for fieldwork. For studies of any locale, physically visiting the sites in question is vital for providing a more total, immersed experience of landscape. As Tilley has argued, repeatedly visiting an area reveals unseen nuances, and through this familiarity one learns 'how and where to look' (Tilley 1994, 75). In the context of GIS-based analysis, such visitations are conducive to the construction of more informed, refined research designs. On a more basic level, visits also serve as a ground-truthing exercise in order to validate GIS analysis.