2004 UC Proceedings Abstract
GIS and Geophysics Reveal Fort Pierre Chouteau Historic Site Track: Archaeology Author(s): Tammy Davis The South Dakota State Historical Society, in conjunction with the State Archaeological Research Center, has completed five years of excavation at Fort Pierre Chouteau Trading Post National Historic Site. The project objectives included determining spatial analysis of features and 1833-1855 building episodes, determining target areas from Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and magnetometer with corresponding 1 by 1 meter units, and comparing reflections with sketch maps from 1833 and 1855. GIS made it possible to overlay GPR and magnetometer data with the excavations and present day surface features. Combining the GIS, magnetometer, and ground penetrating radar allowed the discovery of the inside of a hospital building and evidence of a remodeled fort wall. A builder's trench was identified, suggesting that a set of palisade walls added to the fort in 1845 may be close by. Also, a circular vegetation anomaly was digitized and considered for further investigation by GPR and/or magnetometer. Tammy Davis South Dakota School of Mines & Technology P.O. Box 1257 Rapid City , SD 57709 US Phone: 605-394-1936 E-mail: tammy.davis@state.sd.us |
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