Abstract
Ancient Trail Mapping in Highland Ecuador
Track: Teaching with GIS in Higher Education
Author(s): Betty Smith
This paper discusses how using GIS and GPS for teaching cartography, projections and spatial concepts of ancient transportation routes can be a technique generalized for use with other students. The pedagogical aspects of teaching field techniques while researching local ancient Incan trails bring students, teachers and local informants to a common goal. During August 2008 a global positioning system and local knowledge were used to identify and trace on digital topographic maps a small portion of an east-west Andean-Coastal pre-colonial trade route west of the Panamerican Highway in Cotopaxi Province approximately 30 miles west of Lasso, Ecuador. Twelve points were placed on digital topographic maps of the region using a geographic information system and laptop computer. The independent study student was thrilled with the field experience. It is anticipated a similar technique can be replicated with other individual or small student or teacher groups.
Betty Smith
Eastern Illinois University
Department of Geology and Geography
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston , Illinois 61920
United States
Phone: (217) 581-6340
E-mail: besmith@eiu.edu